The Trojans skipped their traditional morning walk-through (which this week has been much more physical than that term suggests) on Friday for some much needed time off. The afternoon practice, however, saw the team in full pads for the first time this fall, which–combined with a surprisingly large group of fans in attendance–gave the workout a more game-like feel than normal. We once again collect the day’s media coverage in our practice roundup.

Who looked good

• Sophomore RB Stafon Johnson continued an impressive week running the ball with another strong performance. And no one was more impressed than head coach Pete Carroll, who was quoted as saying, “This is like a whole new guy, I’m really fired up for him. He’s got some stuff. They’re having trouble tackling him.” It seems that if anyone has moved up the depth chart during this first week of training camp, it’s him.
• Of the other backs, Emmanuel Moody broke off a long run, although he had trouble with blocking assignments. TB Allen Bradford and FBs Stanley Havili and Jordan Campbell, on the other hand, showed good pass blocking skills. And numerous observers noted how healthy (and strong, and fast) Chauncey Washington has been looking.
• With WR Patrick Turner sitting out much of the afternoon to give the other receivers extra reps, redshirt freshman David Ausberry pulled down a pair of nice touchdown catches. The latter is having a very strong week (his pass-catching skills have made him a favorite target of the quarterbacks) and is looking likely to get quite a bit of playing time once the season begins. Practicing for only the second time, true freshman Brandon Carswell also stood out (for the second straight day), and earned some praise from the head coach.
• Scout observed that the offensive line was more than holding its own against their counterparts on defense during drills, although DLs Fili Moala and Christian Tupou did well against backup o-liners and the DL as a whole performed better during scrimmage situations. And Scout also called freshman DE Everson Griffen “arguably the Trojans best pass rushing down lineman right now” — not bad after just a few days of practice. Other observers similarly noted Griffen’s impressive speed coming off the line in the stand-up “elephant” position–a prospect that should frighten opponents.
• Speaking of linemen, sophomore OL Charles Brown is a story yet again today. Line coach Pat Ruel told Scott Wolf that the tackle is “really close to winning the [starting] job” based on his performance filling in for an injured Drew Radovich (back). The latter expects to return to practice sometime next week, but will have a lot of catching up to do if he wants to start against Idaho.
• Several observers noted more than one hard hit from a very active Brian Cushing.
• Although he won’t be challenging for a starting job, third-string CB Jim Abbott also made quite an impression on onlookers Friday. And second-year CB Shareece Wright had an interception for the second straight day.
• We have yet to see reports about QB John David Booty having passes batted down at the line of scrimmage (a problem that plagued him during the 2006 campaign). In fact, what we have seen are numerous reports on Booty’s confidence and leadership abilities.

Injuries and problems

• Senior RB Hershel Dennis (knee) and freshman RB Marc Tyler (leg) each sat out for the second consecutive day. The latter has only been able to practice once since the start of fall camp, and is still limited by the effects of a broken bone suffered during his last high school season. Carroll will not yet commit to redshirting him this season, but it seems more and more likely, as it may be another few weeks (at least) before he will be healthy enough to be cleared to practice.
• Also sitting out Friday practice for various reasons were Radovich, Will Harris, Jamere Holland, Mozique McCurtis, and Luthur Brown. And DE Gerald Williams appeared to hurt his right leg during practice.
• Sophomore WR Travon Patterson continued his strong play until he injured his toe during the afternoon session. He will almost certainly sit out tomorrow and possibly another day or two as well.
• Observers continue to report that second-string QB Mark Sanchez has been struggling with his passes. In fact, Scout notes that likely fourth-string QB Mike McDonald looked better than Sanchez during the past few practices.
• Placekicker David Buehler missed another two short field goals.
• Freshman WR Ronald Johnson had a number of dropped passes on the day.

Also of note

• Desmond Reed still appears to be the first-string punt returner for now, although others getting work there in Friday practice were freshmen Joe McKnight, Ronald Johnson, and Carswell. At the moment, Reed is clearly the best of the four at actually catching punts–always a plus.
• Sophomore S Taylor Mays is trying to keep his weight down in order to prevent coaches from moving him to linebacker. It’s not an easy task, considering he is already in great shape and has little body fat, according to coaches. It shouldn’t be an issue this season, but may be one before his Trojan career is done.
• The Trojans have their first two-a-day on Saturday, with practices at 9:00 am and 4:00 pm. Sunday’s nighttime scrimmage at the Coliseum will be the first practice that is closed to the public.

Day 5 Practice Notes (Scout)
Friday Practice Insider: Who Is Turner’s No. 2? (Rivals, $)
Moody ensures he’s not forgotten (LA Times)
Booty, Turner work on rapport (OC Register)
USC tackle Brown close to starting (Daily News)