Madden in, Blackwell out for ASU game


The No. 16 USC football team hit the practice field again on Tuesday to continue preparation for Arizona State. The Trojans didn’t know it at the time, but they will be playing against a Sun Devil squad without its starting quarterback, as ASU’s Taylor Kelly is out for the second straight week with a foot injury.

Light him up · Junior defensive end Leonard Williams will be crucial in slowing down Arizona State running back D.J. Foster. Foster is averaging 135.0 rush yards per game, good for ninth in the country. - Mariya Dondonyan | Daily Trojan

Light him up · Junior defensive end Leonard Williams will be crucial in slowing down Arizona State running back D.J. Foster. Foster is averaging 135.0 rush yards per game, good for ninth in the country. – Mariya Dondonyan | Daily Trojan

Madden on the Move

Redshirt junior tailback Tre Madden reappeared on the depth chart ahead of USC’s game against Arizona State this Saturday. Madden suffered turf toe in training camp this fall and has yet to clock any playing time for the Trojans thus far. Madden is listed as the third tailback on the roster behind redshirt junior Javorius “Buck” Allen and sophomore Justin Davis.

“It’s very frustrating,” Madden said Tuesday following his first practice back in full pads. “But it’s football so we’ll see how it goes.”

When asked about the possibility of redshirting this season, Madden deferred the question, saying it would require talking to coaches and team doctors.

USC head coach Steve Sarkisian had said earlier in the season that Madden should be ready by the Oregon State game, but he has been experiencing a lot of pain.

“It takes a long time to loosen up, and it’s sore all the time,” Madden said. “It is one of the most frustrating things I’ve been through.”

Last year, Madden was USC’s second-leading rusher, posting 703 rush yards in 11 games.

Blackout?

Redshirt junior wide receiver Victor Blackwell has been absent from practice recently. Blackwell is the latest player in the Trojan football program to draw less-than-desirable media attention to the field.

“We haven’t seen him in over two weeks,” Sarkisian confirmed Tuesday. Blackwell had not received any playing time since the first game of the season against Fresno State, in which he caught three passes for 54 yards.

Unfortunately, this USC football team is starting to get used to these kinds of controversies, but Sarkisian is staying firm on his stance.

“There is no limbo to be in,” Sarkisian said. “If he decides to come meet with me, then we will talk about it.”

Sun Devil Saturday

The Trojans will face their first Pac-12 South opponent Saturday when they host the Arizona State Sun Devils at the Coliseum. ASU is 3-1 and currently ranked fourth in the Pac-12 South. The squad is coming off a 62-27 Thursday night loss to UCLA that resulted in it dropping out of the AP Poll completely.

Every team USC faces in Pac-12 South play, including ASU, has the Saturday before it plays USC off.

“Everyone is getting a couple more days to stare at us than [we get to] stare at them,” Sarkisian said.

Despite the abnormality of the situation, redshirt junior quarterback Cody Kessler doesn’t see a change in preparation.

“We had a good balance of running and passing and that’s what we need for this offense to be successful,” Kessler said. “And I personally prepare week in and week out to be prepared for anything they throw at us.” One of the most highly touted Sun Devils is junior running back D.J. Foster. Foster is averaging 135 yards per game on the ground.

Sarkisian emphasized Foster’s versatility, naming a laundry list of things he does well.

“He can run it, he can catch it out of the backfield, he can catch it as a wide receiver, and he is hard to tackle,” Sarkisian said. “He’s all over the place.”