Photo by Jae C Hong (A/P)
While the true freshman quarterback, Matt Barkley, has returned to practice and will more than likely suit up and play this Saturday against Washington State, it is the star Trojan on the other side of the ball that is having trouble making it back on to the field.
All-American safety, Taylor Mays, continues to have difficulties with his sprained right knee and has been unable to participate in practice. Mays originally sprained the knee in USC's impressive come-from-behind victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes when a teammate fell into his leg during one possession. Mays would finish the game, but the right knee sprain has kept him out of subsequent practices as well as the game against the Washington Huskies.
The problem with Mays is that he is having trouble making cuts on the field, according to Michael Lev of the OCRegister.com. According to Lev, “Mays, who missed the Washington game because of a sprained right knee, ran full speed straight ahead but still isn’t able to do all the necessary lateral movements.”
Head coach Pete Carroll is somewhat pessimistic in describing Mays' recovery saying only that, “I wished he would be able to do more than that. He did all the early-practice stuff and got the assignment stuff and all that, but we’re still restricting him. That’s not great for him.”
The Trojans definitely need to get Mays back on the field. However, if he is not able to make the necessary cuts and route changes on the field, it will diminish his ability to do the job. Getting a healthy Mays back is important for USC, as Taylor's abilities on the football field, coupled with his leadership qualities within the defense, are sorely missed.
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