USC football injury report: Brandon Pili hurts ankle in practice (11/13)

Brandon Pili and Jacob Lichtenstein were pulled from practice on Tuesday and more in the USC football injury report for Nov. 13.

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There is concern for USC football in the trenches this week as a couple of defensive linemen were pulled from practice and another pair of offensive linemen dealt with injury.

On Tuesday, nose tackle Brandon Pili limped off the practice field with the help of a teammate during one of the early periods and spent a long while on the trainer’s table before sitting out the remainder of the day. Head coach Clay Helton indicated after practice that he had an ankle injury.

Defensive end Jacob Lichtenstein was also pulled from practice with a shoulder concern.

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Over on the offensive line, starting right tackle missed another day of practice while dealing with knee pain. He was unable to play on Saturday against Cal, boosting Jalen McKenzie into the starting lineup. McKenzie took first team reps on Tuesday.

Helton said Edoga’s status for the weekend’s game against UCLA would be evaluated later in the week.

Meanwhile, starting center Toa Lobendahn was able to practice through an ankle sprain which he suffered against the Bears.

Running backs Aca’Cedric Ware and Vavae Malepeai were also able to suit up on Tuesday, though Helton said the two would be protected this week with limited practice time. The former suffered a shoulder injury against Cal while the latter sprained his ankle and sported heavy tape there.

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At wide receiver, the Trojans got a boost with the return of leading receiver Michael Pittman, who missed the Cal game with a shoulder sprain. He practiced without issue on Tuesday.

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Cornerback Greg Johnson was in a similar boat. After missing the game over the weekend with a similar injury, he was back practicing to start the week.

Finally, quarterback Matt Fink practiced in full pads for the first time since breaking his ribs against Utah, though it is unclear if he will be available as the backup to JT Daniels against UCLA.