X-rays for Barkley’s ankle negative


The football team lost three key members to injury during Saturday’s 36-7 loss against Oregon State. Sophomore quarterback Matt Barkley, redshirt junior tailback Marc Tyler and redshirt junior linebacker Chris Galippo all sat out the second half, and their statuses for this Saturday’s home game against Notre Dame are unknown.

Barkley suffered a high-ankle sprain right before halftime as he was sacked on an attempted fourth-down conversion. He returned to the sideline late in the third quarter sporting crutches and a walking boot on his left leg.

“My ankle just got twisted out,” Barkley said. “I tried to roll out of the sack and it just rolled me up. If I hadn’t worn my knee brace then my knee would have been blown out so this is better than that.”

X-rays on Sunday showed that there are no broken bones in the sophomore’s ankle, but if he is unable to play, senior Mitch Mustain will make his first career start for USC. Mustain completed eight of 17 passes for 60 yards after taking over for Barkley in the second half of the loss to the Beavers.

Tyler was also hobbled by a sprained left ankle, re-aggravating an injury that has bothered the redshirt junior for most of the season. He ran for 34 yards on 11 carries before giving way to senior tailback C.J. Gable, who gave the Trojans’ running game a spark by carrying the ball 10 times for 57 yards and USC’s only touchdown of the game.

Galippo was also injured in the first half; the redshirt junior suffered a concussion in the first quarter and didn’t return to the game.

“I couldn’t see for a good five or 10 minutes,” said Gallipo, who had been starting his third consecutive game at middle linebacker since losing his starting job in the offseason to sophomore Devon Kennard. “I started feeling a little nauseous and threw up a little bit and couldn’t come back.”

Kennard, a former defensive end, replaced Gallipo and recorded eight tackles in the losing effort.