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Corp injury causes brief scare at training camp

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A hush did not fall over the practice facility. Nor did a cart transport a despondent player from the field for a trip to the hospital.

But when USC quarterback Aaron Corp was briefly hobbled by a knee injury on Monday, it hearkened back to 2008, when starter Mark Sanchez suffered a dislocated knee cap.

Sanchez’s injury, also suffered on the third day of training camp, created uncertainty within the program and a daily competition between Corp and Mitch Mustain for the possible chance to start the opener at Virginia. Sanchez returned and parlayed his one season as a starter into a multimillion-dollar NFL contract.

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On Monday, with the Trojans practicing in shoulder pads for the first time, Corp went down after a teammate rolled into the quarterback’s left knee during a scrimmage drill. The sophomore, who entered camp listed No. 1 on the depth chart, returned and ran a few plays, including a couple requiring scrambles.

“No big deal,” Corp said of the mishap.

With Corp briefly sidelined and Mustain absent from practice to attend a class, freshman Matt Barkley seized an extended opportunity to keep the pressure on Corp for the chance to start Sept. 5 against San Jose State.

Barkley had earlier thrown a highlight-reel 30-yard touchdown pass to tight end Anthony McCoy, and he continued his hot hand throughout the scrimmage drill.

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Coach Pete Carroll praised Corp for returning, and again raved about Barkley.

“Playing with the first group, handling it against the first-team defense, making checks, making adjustments -- it’s a remarkable accomplishment in our way of gauging things,” Carroll said.

Barkley reiterated his intent to win the starting job.

“If come San Jose State I’m not the starter, I believe that, if not by that time, I eventually can take it over this year,” he said.

Corp plans to practice today and strengthen his hold on the No. 1 spot. Missing a few plays, he said, should not set him back.

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“Once you start missing days, that’s when it matters,” he said.

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Making an impression

Defensive players wasted little time ratcheting up the intensity on the first day of contact.

In the first one-one-one drill, linebacker Chris Galippo slammed into running back Joe McKnight, creating a cacophony that could be heard from one end of the field to the other.

The collision left McKnight with a swollen right eye.

“We talked about, in the linebackers’ [meeting] room, just how important it was to set the tempo early,” Galippo said. “We also talked a lot about shutting people up. I think we kind of did that.”

Safety Josh Pinkard delivered the biggest hit of the day when he leveled McCoy after a catch.

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Building for the future

After the morning walk-through, Carroll met with athletic department administrators and others to discuss a proposed new building that would be constructed near Heritage Hall.

The facility would possibly house new football offices, a strength-and-conditioning center and the university’s student-athlete academic services operation, Carroll said.

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Quick hits

Carroll praised freshman linebacker Jarvis Jones, who worked at the strong-side spot. . . . Tailback Curtis McNeal sat out after having a tooth pulled before practice . . . Linebacker Marquis Simmons is not practicing because of a hamstring injury.

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gary.klein@latimes.com

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