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Baucham won’t play after crash on motorcycle

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USC cornerback Brian Baucham did not practice and will miss Saturday’s Pacific 10 Conference opener at Washington after suffering injuries in a motorcycle accident Thursday morning, the school announced.

Baucham, a redshirt freshman from Torrance, was traveling north on the Harbor Freeway when the accident occurred.

Baucham was taken to the hospital and treated for abrasions and was recovering at home, the school said.

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Baucham could not be reached for comment.

An officer with the California Highway Patrol said an incident occurred on the northbound 110 Freeway at 6:34 a.m. that required transport of a motorcyclist to the hospital, but she could not confirm that Baucham was involved.

“He was very fortunate that he didn’t sustain any major injuries,” Coach Pete Carroll said. “He got scraped up pretty good.”

Baucham, who sat out the season opener against San Jose State because of flu, was the Trojans’ third cornerback in last week’s 18-15 victory at Ohio State.

Sophomore T.J. Bryant will take Baucham’s spot in nickel situations against Washington, Carroll said.

Carroll said he does not have a policy forbidding players from riding motorcycles. Several have ridden them during his tenure at USC.

“I continue to advise them that they are assuredly more vulnerable on a motorcycle than you are in a car,” Carroll said.

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McKnight sits out

Tailback Joe McKnight sat out for the second consecutive day because of illness but said he would play against Washington.

McKnight left practice Wednesday because of migraine symptoms. He did not practice Thursday because of flu, he said.

“It’s just more like body aches and everything,” he said. “I’m just trying to get over it right now, trying to sweat it out.”

If McKnight cannot play, Stafon Johnson would start at tailback, running backs coach Todd McNair said.

Johnson also has battled flu symptoms.

“I’m still fighting it, but I’m good,” Johnson said. “I’ve been practicing all week, so even if that did come up and I am still feeling under the weather, I’m used to it.

“I’ve been running around and that’s why I wanted to practice through it.”

Middle linebacker Chris Galippo said many Trojans players received flu shots this week.

“They put the signs out for free flu shots in the training room after practice,” Galippo said.

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Quick hits

All-American safety Taylor Mays did not practice because of a knee sprain suffered against Ohio State, but he said he would make a determination about his ability to play during warmups at Washington on Saturday. . . . Tailback Marc Tyler, who has been sidelined because of a toe injury, said he was awaiting word from a foot specialist regarding whether he should have surgery. “If I have to have surgery, I’d rather get it over with now,” he said.

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gary.klein@latimes.com

twitter.com/latimesklein

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