Football

Pete Carroll will begin searching today for clues, reasons for why California seemingly imploded a week before a showdown with the Trojans. Cal's 42-3 meltdown at Oregon dropped the Golden Bears from sixth to 24th in the Associated Press media poll. "It was so far out of character and out of line with that they'd done up until this point," Carroll said Sunday. Cal's fall makes Saturday's matchup between the Trojans and Golden Bears a game between top-25 rather than top-10 teams.

Shane Horton transferred to USC so he could play on the same team with his younger brother. But he did not envision that he would start at linebacker. That, however, is what the third-year sophomore will do Saturday when seventh-ranked USC plays No. 24 California at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley. Coach Pete Carroll said Thursday that Horton, who was switched from safety before training camp, would start at the weak-side spot because the Trojans have been thinned by ankle injuries suffered by Malcolm Smith and Jordan Campbell . It's more than a dream come true for the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Horton, who will join his brother, redshirt freshman defensive end Wes Horton , in the starting lineup.

Joe McKnight is not taking any chances. During USC's 2008 training camp, he suffered a bone fracture in a finger when a dorm-room door was accidentally slammed on his hand. It was one of several freakish injuries and maladies that marred the running back's sophomore season. So McKnight is playing it safe in 2009. "I've got no fingers by the door," McKnight said, chuckling. "I'm not even opening doors in camp." McKnight has completed the first two days of 2009 workouts, meetings and down time without incident.

After nearly a month of workouts and hitting only one another, USC players finally began looking forward on Thursday. The Trojans completed their last practice before Saturday's opener against San Jose State, and veterans and newcomers said they could not wait to get to the Coliseum. "I'm ready," said Wes Horton , a redshirt freshman who will start at defensive end. "I don't have any game experience, so it's going to be a little overwhelming at first, but I can't let that get to me."

USC's running backs apparently got the message. After their mostly lackluster effort in the Trojans' first scrimmage, Coach Pete Carroll pointedly told the group it wasn't running hard enough. On Sunday, the running backs answered en masse during practice with a punishing performance that left several defenders dazed or on the ground after absorbing contact. "We wanted to impose our dominance as much as possible and show everybody that we're not a slouch," senior Stafon Johnson said.

This time, Pete Carroll chose not to wait. A week after failing to announce a starting quarterback, and then watching Aaron Corp struggle in a loss at Washington, Carroll said Wednesday that freshman Matt Barkley would return to the lineup Saturday night against Washington State. "He's going to give us the best chance to win right now," Carroll said after practice. Barkley was sidelined last week because of a bone bruise in his right shoulder, an injury suffered against Ohio State on Sept.

An actual national football championship won't be won today, but in the absence of any real games college fans will nevertheless either enjoy or suffer through -- most likely a combination of both -- wins and losses by their favorite teams. So it goes on national letter-of-intent day for high school football seniors, when the decisions made by a select group of prospects will influence the fortunes of college programs across the country. Ohio State's projected class is ranked No.

USC ends spring practice with its annual Trojan Huddle scrimmage at the Coliseum today at 1 p.m. Five things that are apparent after four weeks of workouts: Corp-orate feel Aaron Corp's running ability will give the Trojans a new weapon at quarterback -- if he can hang onto the job through training camp.

UCLA hopes a pattern isn't forming that entails the opponent's tailback having a showcase performance. First it was Stanford's Toby Gerhart (134 yards). Then it was Oregon's LaMichael James (152 yards). This week, UCLA faces California's Jahvid Best , considered a Heisman Trophy front-runner before the Bears were thumped in consecutive losses to Oregon and USC. "If you don't get your arms around him, he is going to make you pay and pay dearly," Coach Rick Neuheisel said.

USC quarterback Aaron Corp spent much of Tuesday wearing a slight grimace on his face and a rubberized sleeve on his swollen left knee. Unable to practice because of an injury suffered the day before, Corp watched freshman Matt Barkley take command of the Trojans' morning walk-through and afternoon practice. By evening, after doctors had read Corp's X-rays, examined him and indicated there was no ligament damage, the sophomore smiled easily and walked with a spring in his step rather than a limp.