In coming back from an injury and battling for a starting position, John David Booty has been searching for consistency.
On Wednesday, he took one step closer toward finding it.
Booty took snaps and threw without a glove during practice for the second consecutive day. USC coach Pete Carroll was pleased with Booty's progress.
"I think we're a little ahead of schedule with John David right now," Carroll said. "I'm kind of surprised that John was so good today, because there was no way of knowing about it from before."
Booty has been plagued by a broken middle finger on his right hand he suffered in a loss to Stanford.
"I'm not 100 percent physically, but there's been so much improvement compared to last week," Booty said. "It's just a matter of getting it, so it's not killing me every time I throw."
Mark Sanchez was still involved with the first team unit and split reps with Booty.
Carroll said the offense had been preparing as though Sanchez would start against Oregon, though no official announcement has been made.
"If we were playing today, Mark would have started," Carroll said.
Despite preparing to be the starter, Sanchez has tried to keep his expectations tempered.
"I'm not worried about it," Sanchez said. "It'll work either way, but I'm itching to get back out there, so I hope it happens."
Carroll has not mentioned a timetable for when he will announce the starter.
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USC's defense has emphasized disciplined play this week in preparation for Oregon's spread-option offense and quarterback Dennis Dixon, who leads the Pac-10 in passing efficiency.
Dixon has also run for more than 400 yards this season. Dixon's combination of skills has posed problems for opposing teams throughout the season.
"We have to make sure he doesn't break contain, so we really have to watch him whenever he has the ball," defensive end Kyle Moore said.
Dixon struggled against USC last year, totaling only 154 yards through the air and on the ground.
Despite Dixon's development this year, the Trojans don't plan to deviate from the game plan they used to contain Dixon last year.
"That's how teams lose; they change what they do," Moore said. "We just keep doing what we do over and over, so we're perfect on game day."
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While Mark Sanchez has been battling for the starting position, his father, Nick Sanchez, has been battling fires.
The elder Sanchez, a firefighter in Orange County, was in Whiting Ranch, Calif., Tuesday fighting one of the state's many blazes.
"I've been getting text messages from my dad and his unit," Mark Sanchez said. "I think about it during the day and when I see the news, but I've been through it before when these big fires happen."
Sanchez said his father was unsure of whether he would be able to attend Saturday's game against Oregon and that his father has attended every game since Sanchez's freshman year.
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Running back Joe McKnight received a brief scare when he had to limp off the field mid-way through practice Tuesday.
McKnight injured the lower area of his back but quickly returned to drills when trainers determined the injury was not serious.
"He walked it off and he was alright," Carroll said. "It's not a long standing issue, it was just a real sharp bruise on his backside."
