Thursday saw the Trojans doing double duty for the third time, with a short open practice on campus at 10:00 am (which dealt mainly with special teams) and a closed scrimmage under the lights at the Coliseum at 7:15 pm. In between, the players got a rare break with a special screening of “The Bourne Ultimatum.” We recap the coverage of the practices (but not the movie, which we hear is just like the previous two) in this installment of our daily practice roundup.

Who looked good

• Unlike the previous scrimmage, Thursday night’s event at the Coliseum saw the offense very competitive with (if not performing better than) the Trojan defense. QB John David Booty put up impressive numbers, even for a scrimmage: 11-for-17, 173 yards, 3 touchdowns, no interceptions. Quarterbacks Mitch Mustain (who didn’t play in the previous scrimmage) and Aaron Corp also led touchdown drives, although the latter also threw an interception.
• No one tailback dominated in the scrimmage, as carries were spread around among many backs, but Broderick Green put up the best numbers, with 60 yards and a TD in just 7 carries. The four backs who took snaps with the first team offense were Chauncey Washington, Desmond Reed, Stafon Johnson, and CJ Gable. Johnson also returned some kickoffs and punts, and Rivals noted that he is looking much better at pass blocking, which was once a weakness for him.
• On the receiving end, WR Patrick Turner and TE Fred Davis looked good, and recent receiver convert Garrett Green even managed to snag a few catches.
• Freshmen linebackers Chris Galippo and Malcolm Smith (who each have been having a superb fall camp) led the defense in tackles.
• Sophomore CB Vincent Joseph ran back a kickoff for a touchdown, and head coach Pete Carroll indicated that Joseph may indeed be one of the starters in that role once the season starts, despite never handling the ball in his high school career.

Injuries and problems

• No new injuries today, but the players who have been banged up continue to sit out: Vidal Hazelton, Jamere Holland, Hershel Dennis, and Joe McKnight missed the day’s events, as did others with more major injuries (Sam Baker, Drew Radovich, Travon Patterson). Radovich, however, may return as soon as Friday. And CB Cary Harris, who had missed multiple practices over the past week, was able to play during the scrimmage.
• Current second-string QB Mike McDonald completed just 1 of 5 passes during the scrimmage.
• Walk-on kicker Brook Van Muijen was cut from the team.

Also of note

• The Trojan defensive line showed a new look on third-down plays, with Lawrence Jackson moving to tackle to make way for freshman Everson Griffen at end. Expect to see that a lot during the season.
• Carroll spent some time after the morning session tutoring WR Ronald Johnson on catching passes. With Hazelton out with a minor injury, RoJo seems to be the team’s number three receiver, behind Turner and David Ausberry.
• Pete Rodriguez, a highly-respected veteran NFL special teams coach (and friend of Carroll), was on hand during practice to offer some much-needed pointers.
• The Trojans practice just once on Friday, at 4:00 pm on Howard Jones field. Their third and final Coliseum scrimmage will be next Wednesday, August 22 at 7:15 pm, and it will be open to the public (and free of charge).

Scrimmage play-by-play (Scott Wolf)
Scrimmage stats (Scott Wolf)
Green, Mustain add a touch of Arkansas to scrimmage (LA Times)
Green days highlight USC’s scrimmage (Daily News)
Video: Scrimmage Roundtable (WeAreSC)
Scrimmage Insider: Stafon Johnson joins first team (Rivals, $)
Turner Catches 2 Of Booty’s 3 TD Passes To Highlight USC Intrasquad Scrimmage (Official USC site)