Practice coverage: Oct. 25


 

· Sophomore cornerback Torin Harris did not practice. Nor did sophomore wide receiver Robert Woods. Coach Lane Kiffin would not elaborate on Woods’ injuries; simply saying “he has multiple.”

· Freshman running back George Farmer was carted off the practice field with what looked to be a leg injury.

· Kiffin was mum on the Dillon Baxter issue. He repeated that he would not comment any further than his statement released earlier today, where he said that Baxter was not currently “part of our football program” as the sophomore focuses on his academics.

· “We’re focused on the guys that are here. We’re focused on getting ready to play maybe the best team in the country,” said Kiffin.

· Naturally, everyone was asking about Stanford star quarterback Andrew Luck, thought by many as the best prospect since Peyton Manning and an apparent shoo-in to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft.

· “We respect each other’s games,” said junior quarterback Matt Barkley. “I hope he looks up to me; I look up to him. There’s that mutual respect which carries a long way.”

· “He’s very, very smart,” said defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin of Luck. “He checks the line of scrimmage. He’s very good at reading the coverages and the whole deployment of your fronts.”

· Monte also lamented, only half-jokingly, that Luck didn’t leave for the NFL last year. “He could have been great,” Kiffin said with a smile. “What’s he still doing in college.”