USC Injury Report: Specialists getting healthy (11/28)

Trojan specialists Chase McGrath and Reid Budrovich are getting healthy ahead of the Pac-12 title game. Here’s the USC injury report for Nov. 28.

USC’s Tuesday practice ahead of the Pac-12 Championship Game was mostly quiet on the injury front, which is a welcome change for the Trojans.

Kicker Chase McGrath, who has been dogged by a groin strain for weeks, was able to get in a second day of practice for the first time since sustaining his injury.

“He’s feeling a lot better,” head coach Clay Helton said after practice.

Punter Reid Budrovich suffered an AC shoulder sprain on a kickoff against UCLA and remains sore, but Helton said he should be fine for Friday.

Both specialists are expected to start when USC travels to Levi’s Stadium.

USC Injury Report:

• Out for season: DL Kenny Bigelow (retirement), K Michael Brown (knee), CB Greg Johnson (shoulder), LB Tayler Katoa (knee), CB Jonathan Lockett (hip), S Isaiah Pola-Mao (shoulder), OL Viane Talamaivao (pectoral), DL Marlon Tuipulotu (back), WR Keyshawn “Pie” Young (hamstring/redshirt)
• Out:  OLB Hunter Echols (redshirt), WR Randal Grimes (hand), OLB Porter Gustin (toe), OT Nathan Smith (knee), RB James Toland (shoulder)
• Questionable: Jamel Cook (academics)
• Probable: OL Chris Brown (back), P Reid Budrovich (shoulder), QB Matt Fink (knee), DL Rasheem Green (shoulder), WR Velus Jones Jr. (ankle), K Chase McGrath (groin), TE Tyler Petite (shoulder), DL Christian Rector (hand)

The progression of outside linebacker Christian Rector has also been positive since the bye week.

“He’s a lot more healthy than he was two weeks ago,” Helton said. “Structurally he’s great.”

Rector is now in a soft cast mostly to protect the incision from surgery to repair his broken hand, Helton said.

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Running back Stephen Carr is among those Trojans whose recovery from injury is just about behind him. The true freshman has been eased back into action over the last three games after missing four weeks with a foot injury.

Helton said Carr has looked “very well” in practice this week and expects him to get more reps on Friday.

“If you looked at the last game that we played Stanford, we were able to use all four backs. They were all four healthy and I’m looking forward to being able to do that again,” said Helton.

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Elsewhere on the injury report, it was status quo on Tuesday. Rasheem Green and Tyler Petite did work on the sidelines with trainers and both remain listed as day-to-day with shoulder injuries. Both are expected to suit up against Stanford.