The senior tunnel will happen after tomorrow's walk-thru, but the real practices are over for one season.
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- Matt Barkley expects to start Saturday. He has not been explicitly told that he is the guy, but he is getting starter reps. He will wear a special brace to stabilize his left ankle, which is similar to what Troy Polamalu and Matt Leinart wore at USC when they had high-ankle sprains. "He looked by far the best he's looked since the injury," Lane Kiffin said about his QB.
- Win or lose, a smiling Lane Kiffin was assured his job is safe. "I guess I'm safe...for 48 more hours," said a joking Kiffin, who heard that Pat Haden said Kiffin would be at USC "for a long time" during last Saturday's Notre Dame broadcast.
- In a serious answer, Kiffin was asked about the similarities of Norm Chow's offense at USC to the Pistol he is running at UCLA. "I don't see any similarities at all," said Kiffin, who of course learned at the hand of Chow. "It looks like they went through a wholesale change. It seems like they are very committed to it." I find it bizarre that one of the greatest play-callers in the history of college football is starting anew.
- While NFL fans will be devastated by a lockout next season, the Trojan Family could view it as a gift if it means Jurrell Casey returns for his senior season. "If there is a lockout, what's the point in leaving," Casey reasoned. "I'll come back and complete another season and help out the team."
- Casey kept the great quotes rolling when talking about UCLA. "I really don't like their colors. I really don't like Adidas. It's just something I never liked since I was growing up and I always liked SC."
- While Casey is not a senior, he realizes that this could have been his last USC practice. "I think about it everyday actually," Casey admitted. "Once you leave, it's not really about the team. It's about yourself and making money for your family. You don't have that same team atmosphere and you can't enjoy football the way you really want to because you are always working to save your job."
- Mitch Mustain definitely completed his final practice. "It was like every other one I guess," said the laid back QB. "I think everybody is ready to get to the Rose Bowl and play."
- "I'll be ready to go either way," Mustain said about starting or backing up Barkley. "I'm ready. I know the stuff and we'll see what happens."
- When listing the USC/UCLA player connections yesterday, I forgot to mention brothers Marshall and Malcolm Jones. Marshall will start at safety for the Trojans Saturday and he'll have his eyes open if the Bruins freshman back comes in his neighborhood. "If I see him one-on-one, I'm going to try to bring everything I got," said the older brother.
- Young Malcolm has been doing a little trash-talking with big bro. "He's been saying he is going to run past me, but I don't think he is," Jones said.
- Mrs. Jones is expected to wear both her sons' jerseys with a split down the middle. "My mom said she likes USC games more, so I'm happy about that."
- Here is Lane Kiffin on the final practice of 2010...
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