Pete Carroll blew his whistle at 4:45 p.m. Monday to start practice and on-field preparations for Saturday's home game against Arizona, but all the questions afterward still centered on the Trojans' stunning 24-23 loss to Stanford.
The lingering thread between the Wildcats and Cardinal is quarterback John David Booty's broken middle finger on his throwing hand, injured in the second quarter when he struck a helmet.
Booty saw a specialist and is cleared to play. Sophomore Mark Sanchez, however, took all snaps with the first team.
"It looks bad now, all black and blue," Carroll said. "When [John David] is ready to grip the football, he can throw it and he'll be ready to play. It's not going to get any worse.
"Mark has to go with the first group and take it like he's starting until he isn't."
Said offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian of Sanchez's weekly preparations as if he were the starter: "Now this is reality."
Sanchez, the nation's top quarterback recruit at Mission Viejo High School three years ago, has completed 5 of 10 career attempts for 86 yards and one touchdown.
"I'm excited about the chance to play," Sanchez said. "I'm going to champion the opportunity, but it's an unfortunate thing that happened to JD."
The potential change comes after Booty has thrown six interceptions in his last two games. The senior had only nine passes picked off all last season.
"It's easy to say they are all his fault. You got to take a look at why those interceptions occurred," Sarkisian said. He added that "some decision making [by Booty] has to get addressed."
Carroll was more blunt in his assessment of Booty's wide receivers.
"We've got to get the guys out there that know exactly what they are doing. We aren't able to survive it while guys are going through the process of getting comfortable," he said. "Physically these guys are really good players, but the experience just isn't there. We'll try to work our way thought it and minimize the mistakes."
Sarkisian took some blame for not protecting Booty with his play calling. "I put him in a tough situation [and have] got to do better than that," he said.
"He had an unlucky second half." That misfortune has shown up in USC's turnover margin, ranking No. 106 nationally after turning the ball over 14 times this year, while the defense has accounted for only two fumble recoveries and five interceptions.
"It's all magnified by the turnovers," Carroll said. "If we win that game on the fourth-and-20 and they make 19 [yards] and 11 inches, I would feel the same.
"We have got to take care of the football, and until we do that, we're in deep trouble. We easily could not win any games if we keep turning the football over and that's how this game goes."
The Trojans defense, expected to be one of the nation's best, was not immune from Carroll's criticism.
"This group has not been real productive in getting the ball away over some time now. The ball has been around us, so we just have to convert those plays. We have to keep trying," he said. "That's how you tackle, how you hit the quarterback, how you make plays on the ball when you're breaking on it."
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With sophomore running back Stafon Johnson out because of a foot injury he suffered at Washington, neither sophomore Allen Bradford nor freshman Joe McKnight received an increased role against Stanford.
"They have to be comfortable," Carroll said in regard to McKnight having only three yards rushing and Bradford getting no carries. "It's hard for those guys to be confident when they can't get out there and get going."
"The way we were playing was not condusive to what [Joe] was going to bring. Hindsight is 20-20. Maybe we should have given him four or five more carries," Sarkisian said.
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The Trojans hope to get some good news Wednesday when Johnson, linebacker Brian Cushing (ankle) and guard Chilo Rachal (knee) are all expected to return to practice. Cushing and Rachal, however, along with center Kris O'Dowd (knee) are not likely back until Notre Dame
Corner Shareece Wright (hamstring) worked out Monday and could return this week.
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Sarkisian said he considered going for two when the Trojans scored early in the fourth quarter.
USC led 22-14 after Ronald Johnson's 47-yard touchdown catch, but elected to try the extra point as a failed conversion would have given Stanford a better chance to tie the game.
"You always want to keep it a two score game, but I thought about it," Sarkisian said.
