Stanley Havili

USC tries to regroup after its humiliating defeat at Oregon, its worst loss in Coach Pete Carroll's nine seasons. Arizona State would like nothing more than to make it two weeks of misery for the seven-time defending Pacific 10 Conference champions. Times staff writer Gary Klein looks at some of the game's key issues and matchups: Passed tense USC Coach Pete Carroll and quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates raved about quarterback Matt Barkley's performance against Oregon, but the praise seemed over the top. Though Barkley did not turn the ball over until his final pass was intercepted, the freshman was far from stellar.

USC fullback Stanley Havili poured through his playbook during training camp, breaking only for meals, meetings, practices and. . . dominoes? "You have to think at both games," Havili said of the activity favored by many Trojans players. "At dominoes, you're going to get hit with points. In football, you're going to get hit by a linebacker if you mess up."

Senior Josh Pinkard has not started a game for USC since the 2006 opener at Arkansas, where he played safety and suffered the first of two knee injuries that forced him to miss nearly two seasons. But Pinkard will return to the starting lineup Thursday at Oregon State, replacing cornerback Shareece Wright, who could miss six weeks because of a fractured vertebra, Coach Pete Carroll announced Monday. Wright was hurt during the Trojans' victory over Ohio State on Sept.

USC fullback Stanley Havili , who sat out nearly all of the last three games because of a shoulder injury, will start Saturday against Stanford, giving the struggling Trojans offense a boost. Havili, hurt in the game against Notre Dame on Oct. 17, did not play against Oregon State and Oregon. The junior was in for a few plays last week against Arizona State but did not carry the ball or catch a pass in a victory he described as "just a terrible game to watch." "We just need more tempo -- we need more life out there," Havili said Tuesday.

USC fullback Stanley Havili moved a chair into his dressing stall and sat with his back to teammates and reporters after last week's embarrassing loss to Stanford at the Coliseum. Havili could not bring himself to talk about the 55-21 defeat. The fourth-year junior carried the loss with him through the early part of this week, but at the end of Friday's early morning workout he sounded as if he finally had let it go. "The way we practice, I think the confidence comes back and guys believe in the program," he said.

USC fullback Stanley Havili moved a chair into his dressing stall and sat with his back to teammates and reporters after last week's embarrassing loss to Stanford at the Coliseum. Havili could not bring himself to talk about the 55-21 defeat. The fourth-year junior carried the loss with him through the early part of this week, but at the end of Friday's early morning workout he sounded as if he finally had let it go. "The way we practice, I think the confidence comes back and guys believe in the program," he said.

USC fullback Stanley Havili , who sat out nearly all of the last three games because of a shoulder injury, will start Saturday against Stanford, giving the struggling Trojans offense a boost. Havili, hurt in the game against Notre Dame on Oct. 17, did not play against Oregon State and Oregon. The junior was in for a few plays last week against Arizona State but did not carry the ball or catch a pass in a victory he described as "just a terrible game to watch." "We just need more tempo -- we need more life out there," Havili said Tuesday.

USC tries to regroup after its humiliating defeat at Oregon, its worst loss in Coach Pete Carroll's nine seasons. Arizona State would like nothing more than to make it two weeks of misery for the seven-time defending Pacific 10 Conference champions. Times staff writer Gary Klein looks at some of the game's key issues and matchups: Passed tense USC Coach Pete Carroll and quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates raved about quarterback Matt Barkley's performance against Oregon, but the praise seemed over the top. Though Barkley did not turn the ball over until his final pass was intercepted, the freshman was far from stellar.

Senior Josh Pinkard has not started a game for USC since the 2006 opener at Arkansas, where he played safety and suffered the first of two knee injuries that forced him to miss nearly two seasons. But Pinkard will return to the starting lineup Thursday at Oregon State, replacing cornerback Shareece Wright, who could miss six weeks because of a fractured vertebra, Coach Pete Carroll announced Monday. Wright was hurt during the Trojans' victory over Ohio State on Sept.

USC fullback Stanley Havili poured through his playbook during training camp, breaking only for meals, meetings, practices and. . . dominoes? "You have to think at both games," Havili said of the activity favored by many Trojans players. "At dominoes, you're going to get hit with points. In football, you're going to get hit by a linebacker if you mess up."