USC Football Notes: 'We need some of those leaders to continue to step up'

USC interim head coach Donte Williams has continued to become more and more candid with his answers and insights as the frustrations and realities of this season mount.

So when asked how he gauges whether the Trojans have truly moved on from that 62-33 loss to UCLA on Saturday and locked back in for practice, well, he said that actually wasn't the case at the start of the day Tuesday.

"I mean, well, the way that we started practice today we definitely didn't bounce back," Williams said. "It was definitely slow so I had to get on a couple guys and fire guys back up. That's why toward the end of practice I had to bring people up to make sure we understand the way we started practice is not our standard. That was terrible. You can't all of a sudden show up for a football game and think anything's going to go your particular way, so the sense of urgency definitely has to pick up.

"So at the start of practice we had not bounced back. As the practice kind of went on I felt a little more sense of urgency, I felt guys starting to pick it up, but at the same time coaches don't lead teams to prominence and dominance. It has to be player-driven and right now we need some of those leaders to continue to step up."

WATCH: Video interviews with USC coaches and players Tuesday after practice

It may be asking a lot of a true freshman, but quarterback Jaxson Dart may have to be one of those guys for this team.

Coaches and teammates have talked up those attributes of the young QB, and as he gets an extended opportunity to assert his status as the future of the program, he has everything to play for these final two games, continuing this Saturday in the Coliseum as USC (4-6) hosts No. 13 BYU (9-2).

"Yeah, the way I kind of see it is I want to go out this year with no regrets and making sure I came into each week, and I want the whole team to have that same approach," Dart said. "Coach Donte talks about it a lot in our team meetings, where we gotta have the same mentality to just compete and win each day to lead up to the game. We have some seniors on this team and we want to put it all on the line for them and end this year off in a really good way and help us carry it into next year."

Williams confirmed Dart will make his second straight start with junior QB Kedon Slovis still sidelined by a muscle injury in his leg that continues to keep him out of practice.

Williams said, however, that he has not ruled Slovis out for the rest of the season, even with just two games remaining on the schedule.

"I'm not. It's a muscle injury so everybody heals a little differently, so I wish I could give you something better than that and say, yeah, he'll back tomorrow. But I don't know that," he said.

So Dart will try to be the spark for the offense, but the bigger questions and concerns of course are on the other side of the ball.

USC gave up 609 yards to UCLA on Saturday and has now given up a combined 551 rushing yards over the last two games. BYU already has four 200-yard-plus rushing games this season, rumbling for 224 against Utah, 221 vs. Utah State, 238 on Washington State and a whopping 385 vs. Virginia.

The defensive coaches and players will talk with media after practice on Wednesday, but Williams' chief concern should be hoping for some of that player-driven leadership he's seeking to come from that side of the ball.

"You know what, it's a saying, and the saying is tough times don't last, tough people do," Williams said. "So I think all these guys are getting more prepared for life than just football right now so it's going to be a lot of things that happen in life that doesn't go truly the way they plan them to go and it's going to be a challenge. I think they're learning how to deal with adversity, learning how to deal with challenges and continue to push forward."

Among the notable players not practicing Tuesday were QB Kedon Slovis (muscle injury in leg), TE Michael Trigg, RB Keaontay Ingram (upper body injury) and LT Courtland Ford.

Trigg was back practicing early last week after missing more than a month with a knee injury before having an unspecified setback, but Williams said the freshman TE has not been shut down for the season.

"No, he has not. He was out running around today and once again he's a guy who's been handling some academic issues at the same time trying to make sure he's prepared to go," Williams said.

As for Ingram, who is closing in on 1,000 rushing yards (911 right now) and has been the most consistent offensive player over the last month-plus, Williams left the door open for him playing this week.

"Right now it's to his tolerance. It's to his tolerance and when he feels comfortable to go back out there. At the same time, our medical staff is monitoring it," Williams said.

Ford, meanwhile, was said to be out sick.

Veteran pass rusher Drake Jackson didn't practice after playing sparingly in the game Saturday, but he did so with a noticeable wrap on his right calf area.

Freshman defensive end Korey Foreman was also back practicing after working past the concussion that kept him out the last two weeks.

...

USC practiced in shells -- shoulder pads and shorts -- Tuesday instead of full pads, which has been the standard every Tuesday and Wednesday since Williams took over.

"We're a little banged up and it is the end of the season. This is kind of later in the season where most teams right now pretty much aren't even putting shoulder pads on at all. For us to still put shoulder pads on, credit to these guys still coming out here and being physical and flying around," he said. "At the same time we also have a lot of guys that wasn't expecting to probably play as much this year that are playing, so it has to be a bit of a learning curve too as well as being physical."