UH vs USC Previews, Practices Notes, Etc.

Lots of news today. Less than 24 hours!!!!

ESPN Los Angeles has a USC Wednesday practice report.

Kiffin is somewhat concerned that guards Butch Lewis and Khaled Holmes will have stamina issues after missing a lot of games during fall camp with injuries. Both players are on target to start Thursday, but Kiffin said they may need to substitute more frequently to rest the linemen.

* Kiffin was asked if this team is ready to play a game.

"We're still 27 hours until kickoff. There's still a lot to be done," he said. "You can think you have a team to this point and you don't or vice versa. It's a young team and we have no experience with them. We're going to stay on them all the way until the last play of the game."

They also have Five Things to Watch For, including this, which is a possible preview of USC's offensive game plan:

5. Running at will? The best reason for USC fans to breathe easy this week is what happened to Hawaii at the end of last season. Wisconsin rushed for 301 yards en route to a 51-10 victory that cost Hawaii a chance at a bowl game. With two starting guards returning in time for the game, there's no reason USC shouldn't be able to run the ball to good success Thursday night. Junior Marc Tyler is still a load at 218 pounds, but he's down 15 pounds from spring camp and moving better. When in doubt, the Trojans can return to their roots and pound the ball into a smaller team.

The USCTrojans.com Ripsit blog has some Wednesday practice notes as well.

# The 45 minutes was broken into even thirds starting with special teams then offense and then defense. I can honestly say that I am excited to watch the Trojans play special teams. With the amount of work they have put into it, they expect to be a dominant unit.
# On the whole, the practice focused on specialty situations like on-side kicks, two-minute drills and Hail Marys.

Here are some game previews from:

• Jaymes Song of the AP
• The Sports Network
• Boxscore News
• LA Times
• SCPlaybook

Stephen Tsai profiles Bryant Moniz, who talks about training at a boxing club in the offseason.

Every Friday, for 2 hours, Jumawan worked with Moniz on exercises designed to improve leverage and strengthen arms.

Then Moniz was put on an anarobic-exercise program. Moniz would frenetically throw a series of punches for 10 seconds. Then 20 seconds. Then 30. Then, finally, a full minute.

"I've never been so tired," Moniz said.

Jumawan noted that "after a couple of times of that, he was winded. By the end of the summer, he had no problem doing a whole minute of that. It was good for muscle endurance. I think it helped his arm get stronger."

Jason Kaneshiro takes a look at coordinators Nick Rolovich and Dave Aranda. They will both coach from the sidelines this season.

"I think it's where you need to be to make the corrections, to see people's eyes and see where they're at with things," said Aranda, previously a defensive coordinator at Delta State.

"It's been a while, but I'm excited. It's a different perspective when you're down (on the sideline), I've always felt you see better when you're down."

While there may be the inevitable nerves that accompany a season opener, having a taste of play-calling duties last year might help them sleep a little better tonight.

"I think it helps me a bunch," Rolovich said yesterday following the Warriors' final full practice before meeting the Trojans. "Going in green right now would be a much bigger challenge."

And Lane Kiffin says he'd like to see the UH-USC series continue.

"I'd love it (to continue)," Kiffin said. "I think it is great for our players' families and for our fans. Even though it is distracting for our players and coaches going over there. I'd love to keep going back and forth."

UH athletic director Jim Donovan said he also hopes to continue the series that has been the Warriors' top money-maker, thanks to three consecutive sellouts (1978, 1999 and 2005).