McKnight ineligible, will miss final week of spring

USC tailback Joe McKnight did not attend Saturday’s scrimmage and will miss the final week of spring workouts because he is academically ineligible to participate, Coach Pete Carroll said.

McKnight, a sophomore who is regarded as the Trojans’ top multidimensional threat, dropped a class, leaving him without the required 12 units, Carroll said. The situation will not affect McKnight’s eligibility for the fall, Carroll added.

McKnight was held out of practice last Tuesday so he could make up a tutoring session he had missed.

“I’m disappointed, but it was coming and he didn’t take care of business in one particular class that got him,” Carroll said after the Trojans’ 88-play scrimmage. “To make sure that he’s doing the right thing we had him drop the class to keep his grade-point average in order and all of that and that will keep him from having some other issues later on.”

Asked if he would use McKnight as an example, Carroll said, “It’s about as obvious an example as you can get.”

Quarterback Mark Sanchez said McKnight would be missed as USC prepares for next Saturday’s scrimmage at the Coliseum and for the 2008 season.

“You can’t just do it all on the field; you’ve gotta be doing it in the classroom working hard too,” Sanchez said. “And I know he’ll clean that up and be ready to go for the fall.”

Sanchez was not as efficient as he had been in the previous four workouts, but he did not seem to lose any ground in his bid to become John David Booty’s successor.

Carroll and offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian had said that quarterbacks Mitch Mustain and Aaron Corp would get extended series with the first-team offense. However, Sanchez got five against the starters while Mustain and Corp got one each.

Sanchez completed nine of 17 passes for 97 yards and guided the offense to two field goals and a touchdown. Cornerback Shareece Wright intercepted a Sanchez pass intended for receiver David Ausberry in the end zone.

Mustain completed nine of 18 passes for 112 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown to Ausberry in Mustain’s only series against the first-team defense. Safety Shane Horton, a transfer from UNLV, intercepted a pass by Mustain.

Corp was seven for eight for 80 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown to receiver Brandon Carswell.

------

Safeties Kevin Ellison and Taylor Mays, cornerback Cary Harris and defensive end Kyle Moore -- all starters -- were held out to rest injuries. . . . Tailbacks C.J. Gable, Allen Bradford and Broderick Green each had a run of 23 yards or more. Gable scored on a seven-yard run. . . . Linebacker Michael Morgan had five tackles, including a sack.

gary.klein@latimes.com