What was expected all week is now official, as USC coach Clay Helton confirmed Thursday that redshirt freshman running back Markese Stepp will not play in the Holiday Bowl vs. Iowa on Friday.

Stepp missed the final five games of the regular season after an Arizona player's helmet collided with his ankle, requiring a surgical procedure to repair ligaments.

Stepp returned to practice during the Trojans' bowl prep, but ultimately he didn't progress enough to make it back on the field this season.

"He's practicing, but when you're talking about a 230-pound man that has to put a foot in the ground ... right now the confidence isn't there and I don't feel good about it so we'll hold him out for this game," Helton said during a joint news conference with Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz.

RELATED: Watch full video of the pre-Holiday Bowl news conference with Clay Helton and Kirk Ferentz

The outlook also wasn't encouraging for starting right tackle Drew Richmond, who has been trying to push through a foot sprain this week. Richmond expressed optimism on Tuesday that he'd be able to play, but Helton said his status is very much in doubt.

"Right now with the foot sprain it's about 50-50, to be honest with you. He got some work yesterday, we'll see where everything lies today," Helton said. "But I think right now it's 50-50 at best. He's fighting as hard as he could, fought yesterday, but we'll see."

In both cases, the Trojans are equipped to fill those spots. Running backs Vavae Malepeai, Stephen Carr and Kenan Christon will share the load in the backfield, while Jalen McKenzie will slide over from right guard to right tackle with Liam Jimmons expected to start at right guard.

Jimmons made one start -- against Colorado -- and was otherwise getting 8-10 snaps a game behind McKenzie before dislocating his elbow in early November. He affirmed earlier in the week that he's back to full strength and feels no limitations.

All things considered, this is as healthy as USC has been since the start of the season.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz indicated the same for his squad.

"Hopefully we get through today and tomorrow -- we always seem to have some drama. But, you know, at least the arrow is going up right now," he said.

The up arrow Ferentz referenced applies to wide receiver Brandon Smith, who has played just one snap since the Hawkeyes' Oct. 19 game vs. Purdue. He had 33 catches for 407 yards and 4 touchdowns prior to injuring his ankle.

"Great to get Brandon back. I don't know if he's full speed, but he's pretty close," Ferentz said. "Hopefully … his confidence level [is there], he just hasn't played in a while. Great to get him back."

Iowa will have the Tigerhawk removed from its helmets for the bowl game to honor former Hawkeyes coach -- and Ferentz's mentor -- Hayden Fry, who died on Dec. 17 at age 90.

Fry coached Iowa from 1979-98, going 143-89-6 in that span before being succeeded by Ferentz. Fry won 232 games overall, including stints at SMU and North Texas State (now known as North Texas).

Ferentz had been an assistant on Fry's staff at Iowa from 1981-89 before working in the NFL. He returned to the Hawkeyes as head coach after Fry retired and is now the longest-tenured active FBS head coach.

"We'll take the Tigerhawks on both sides off the helmet. Our governor had the flags in our state lowered to half-mast. This is something coach Fry did during his time as a head coach following two tragic events and I just felt like it was a really fitting way to try to pay tribute to him," Ferentz said. "And it was really well received by his family. That was the most important thing from my aspect, just having their approval."

Iowa played in the Holiday Bowl three times during Fry's tenure -- 1986, 1987 and 1991 -- and has not been back until this year.

Ferentz, who was on staff for the first two of those games, said Fry had fond memories of those bowl trips.

"This was probably his favorite bowl to go to, and it's easy to understand why," he said, while asked how much he's thought of his mentor this week. "... He changed Big Ten history in my opinion and obviously changed Iowa football history forever. Just his impact, and on top of it his vision. … He's a huge reason why I'm here obviously, so everyday I think about that."

When asked what he thought was the most valuable aspect of his team's bowl practices, Helton said it was getting the extra work for the younger players.

College football coaches talk all the time about utilizing the extra practices afforded by a bowl appearance to devote more developmental time to the players who may not have gotten as much work during the season with games to prepare for each week.

Helton noted earlier in the week that the Trojans were more focused on competing against themselves than involving scout teams in the leadup to this bowl.

"[The greatest benefit was] probably the 2s and 3s, to be honest with you. Gaining those extra reps for some guys who are on the cusp of playing and some guys who have given us some valuable minutes also," Helton said. "You look at a Dorian Hewett, Adonis [Otey], you look at a Kenan Christon -- those guys that are really going to have to be factors for us in the near future, those guys that are sitting right on the cusp of having even a larger role and contributing more. I think that's probably where it's been the most [valuable] over these last three weeks is to be giving those good-on-good reps to them and allowing them to put things on tape that we can grade off of and educate them."