How good was defensive end Wes Horton feeling Monday? Good enough to run sprints after practice – by himself.
Horton’s return after missing the past three games because of a back injury couldn’t come at a better time. USC needs every healthy defensive body available against Oregon’s top-rated, high-octane offense.
Not that Horton is just a body. He remains tied for the team lead with three sacks despite missing those three games.
“I didn’t have any pain,”
Horton said. “I feel like it’s to the point where I can go full go.”
Horton said he has been running “non-stop”
since last week to make sure his conditioning is up to par.
He’ll be part of a rotation as USC is expected to go deep into its bench to offset the fatigue Oregon’s frenetic pace creates.
“I think that our D-line is ready to go for the first time this year,”
Trojans coach Lane Kiffin said. “They seem to be 100 percent.”
