USC football: Dillon Baxter does not make trip to Notre Dame

USC tailback Dillon Baxter, perhaps the most high-profile player in the Trojans’ 2010 recruiting class, was left home in Southern California when the Trojans traveled here for Saturday’s game at Notre Dame.

Baxter was absent when USC arrived at a local high school on Friday in preparation for the game. Reached by phone, he declined to comment, saying he would wait until he spoke with Coach Lane Kiffin when the Trojans return.

Kiffin declined to comment.

Baxter has only nine carries this season and has not played in the last two games. The sophomore also was absent from last Sunday’s practice to attend to matters pertaining to the impending birth of a son in January.

Baxter and his family had met with Kiffin earlier this season to discuss his role with the Trojans.

Baxter starred at San Diego Mission Bay High but his freshman season at USC was marked by two suspensions. He gained 252 yards in 59 carries last season and scored one touchdown.

More later at latimes.com/sports

-- Gary Klein, reporting from Michigan City, Ind.

USC football: Pac-12 reprimands Barkley for comments on Burfict

The Pacific 12 Conference reprimanded USC quarterback Matt Barkley on Tuesday for "derogatory and inflammatory comments"  he made about Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict before last week's game at Tempe, Ariz.

Barkley told The Times' Baxter Holmes that, based on his experience playing against Burfict in high school,  he felt the former Corona Centennial High star was "a dirty player."

"His switch is always on," Barkley said. "And it's not a good switch."

Barkley said Tuesday morning that he had also said that Burfict was "a wonderful player" and that his comments were made out of respect.

But Tuesday afternoon, the Pac-12 released a statement from Commissioner Larry Scott announcing the reprimand.

“All of our student-athletes must adhere to the Pac-12's policies on Sportsmanship and Standards of Conduct, which call for our student-athletes to treat opponents with respect and create and ensure a collegiate atmosphere in which to conduct competition,” Scott said. “In these circumstances, Mr. Barkley’s comments were a clear violation of Conference rules and he is being appropriately reprimanded.”

Lane Kiffin denies knowing of alleged payment by ex-USC assistant

USC Coach Lane Kiffin said Tuesday he had no knowledge of a former assistant allegedly reimbursing a talent scout for airfare to pay for a prospect’s unofficial visit to Tennessee in 2009.

Yahoo! Sports reported Monday that former USC assistant Willie Mack Garza allegedly wired $1,500 to Texas-based Will Lyles for an unofficial visit Lache Seastrunk and his mother made to Knoxville, Tenn.

Garza resigned at USC a few days before the season opener because of "some personal issues unrelated to USC that I need to address, " Garza said in a statement.

“All I can say on that is that the alleged incident, I had no knowledge of, or knowledge of a relationship at all,” Kiffin said after practice. “I have always been committed, wherever we’ve been, to doing things the right way and cooperating with the NCAA so that’s all I’ve got on it.”

Kiffin was the subject of an NCAA investigation that delved into the Tennessee athletic program. Last summer, the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions ruled that although secondary violations had occurred in the football program, Kiffin would not be punished.

USC recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron, who held the same title at Tennessee, also said he had no knowledge of Garza's alleged payment.

Asked if it was common practice for assistant coaches to operate on their own without knowledge of the head coach or recruiting coordinator, Kiffin said, “I don’t know. I don’t know what people do.”

Asked if he would be surprised if the NCAA revisited his time at Tennessee, Kiffin said, “That’s not for me to judge.”

More later at latimes.com/sports.

ALSO:

Photos: USC-Arizona State

USC laments missed opportunities in loss to Arizona State

-- Gary Klein

Photo: Lane Kiffin. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

USC football: Former assistant committed apparent violation at Tennessee, report says

USC Coach Lane Kiffin escaped penalties last summer after the NCAA found that secondary recruiting violations were committed by his staff during his 14-month tenure at Tennessee.

But Kiffin's controversial time in Knoxville continues to trail him at USC.

On Monday night, Yahoo! Sports reported that former USC assistant Willie Mack Garza allegedly wired $1,500 to a former talent scout to reimburse him for airfare for a prospect’s unofficial recruiting trip to Tennessee when Garza was an assistant on Kiffin’s staff.

Garza resigned his position at USC in September, a few days before the Trojans' season opener against Minnesota. In a statement released through the school, he said he was leaving because of “some personal issues unrelated to USC that I need to address.”

The Yahoo! Sports report said that Garza reimbursed Will Lyles for airfare that was part of a trip taken by Lache Seastrunk, a running back from Texas, and the player’s mother. The report said that Seastrunk traveled to Tennessee’s Knoxville campus for the unofficial visit in 2009. He eventually signed with Oregon but has since transferred to Baylor.

The NCAA is investigating Lyles’ ties to Oregon and Louisiana State.

NCAA rules allow schools to pay airfare for official visits during a prospect's senior year in high school. However, the report said Seastrunk's trip was taken before his senior year began, making it an apparent violation.

The report said that Lyles spoke with the NCAA on Aug. 30 in Los Angeles. Garza resigned two days later.

USC officials have declined to comment about Garza's departure. On Monday night, a USC athletic department spokesman declined to comment about the Yahoo! Sports report.

USC did not practice on Monday. The Trojans resume workouts Tuesday.

MORE:

USC laments missed opportunities against Arizona State

Trojans leave Arizona State flame broiled after 43-22 loss

USC linebackers are building a solid reputation

--Gary Klein

Photo: Willie Mack Garza watches USC players warm up before a game against California last season at the Coliseum. Credit: Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times

USC football: Lane Kiffin on realignment and recruiting

The Pacific 12 Conference's decision not to expand anytime at this time sits well with USC Coach Lane Kiffin.

"I think it's great," Kiffin said Wednesday after practice. "I love where we're at right now. We're just getting used to this format and the championship game format and the South and the North [divisions]."

In the current alignment, Utah and Colorado have expanded access to the talent-rich Southern California recruiting base.

Had Texas and Oklahoma been allowed to join the conference, those powerhouses also would have had a better opportunity to mine the region.

Asked if he liked the idea that he would not have to deal with the Longhorns and Sooners treading on what has been USC territory, Kiffin said, "Not really. They've always tried to come in here, and so I don't think that would change very much.

"I really don't think just because you play a game one time a year in L.A. on a rotating schedule, I don't think that that really helps that much. You've still got to go a long ways away. So I don't think that would have been a big deal."

-- Gary Klein

USC football: Trojan scout team wears UCLA colors

USC plays its opener against Minnesota on Saturday.

The Trojans do not play rival UCLA until the final game of the season in late November.

But USC Coach Lane Kiffin and his staff got the Trojans in the mood for the Bruins on Thursday. During the final scrimmage portion of practice, scout team players donned powder blue jerseys with gold numbers.

 "I guess they put them in UCLA jerseys to make it a statement as an enemy,” tailback Curtis McNeal said. “It was pretty funny."

Kiffin said, "Hopefully they’ll be motivated to get off the service team so they won’t have to wear the powder blue jerseys."

Were the jerseys a symbolic message?

“Not really,” Kiffin said. "We were bored.”

More later at latimes.com/sports

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USC football: Matt Barkley preparing to 'go out with a bang'

USC football: Willie Mack Garza resigns from coaching staff

USC football: NCAA President Mark Emmert addresses questions about Trojans

-- Gary Klein

USC football: Willie Mack Garza resigns from coaching staff

 

Willie Mack Garza, USC’s secondary coach, has resigned, citing personal reasons "unrelated to USC."

"I stepped down today from my coaching duties at USC," Garza said in a statement. "I have some personal issues unrelated to USC that I need to address. I wish the Trojans the best and I am sorry I won't be with them in what I know will be a very successful season."

USC is in final preparations for Saturday’s season opener against Minnesota at the Coliseum.

Garza was not at practice Thursday morning. Asked afterward why Garza was absent Coach Lane Kiffin said, "Willie's dealing with a personal issue. That's all I can say."

Asked if he was still a member of the staff, Kiffin reiterated that Garza was dealing with a personal issue. "At this time, right now, that's all that I can say."

Kiffin informed players of Garza's resignation via text message at noon.

Athletic Director Pat Haden could not be immediately reached for comment.

Garza, 42, came with Kiffin from Tennessee, where the 2009 coaching staff was recently found to have committed 12 secondary violations of NCAA rules.

Haden has spoken of creating a "culture of compliance" at USC, which is still on probation after being hit with some of the most severe sanctions in college sports history. The penalties included a two-year bowl ban and the loss of 30 scholarships over three years.

Garza played at Texa and was in his 18th season of coaching college football. He was a graduate assistant at Texas and also coached at Western Michigan, Texas Christian, Tarleton (Texas) State and North Dakota State before joining Kiffin’s staff at Tennessee in 2009.

Former USC and NFL safety Sammy Knight is a graduate assistant on the staff and could oversee the secondary.

More later at latimes.com/sports

-- Gary Klein

Photo: Willie Mack Garza. Credit: Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times.

USC football: NCAA President Mark Emmert addresses questions about Trojans

The Times' Lance Pugmire did a Q & A with NCAA President Mark Emmert.

Several of the questions pertained to USC and how its case related to situations involving former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor and former Miami athletic director Paul Dee, who served as  chairman of the NCAA's Committee on Infractions.

Pugmire: What do you say to USC fans after you allowed Newton to play in the BCS title game, and Pryorto play in the Sugar Bowl when USC was banned from a bowl game because of something that occurred six years ago?

Emmert: Every case is unique. We look at facts as different and from different distances. It's natural to make comparisons, but I guarantee you usually don't know all the facts we consider.

Pugmire: In light of what has been revealed about Ohio State, Miami and other schools, did USC's punishment fit the crime when it basically involved one Trojan player and outsiders operating 100 miles away from Los Angeles?

Emmert: We haven't yet passed down penalties in those cases, so they can't draw conclusions. There are still allegations we haven't resolved.

Pugmire: How can the NCAA maintain credibility when a key member of its infractions committee [former Miami athletic director Paul Dee] was in office when the troubling events at Miami allegedly occurred?

Emmert: The chairman [Dee] was one of nine voices on the committee. He has no more power than anyone else. We look at individual cases on their merits. What happened at Miami has no bearing on USC. I understand it doesn't feel right. We decide cases based on the facts on the ground, and we will continue to do that.

--Gary Klein

USC football: No sanctions for Lane Kiffin, according to report

USC football Coach Lane Kiffin will not face sanctions for NCAA violations allegedly committed during his tenure at Tennessee, according to this report posted on the Knoxville News Sentinel's website.

Kiffin appeared before the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions in June as part of a broader hearing into Tennessee's athletic department.

The NCAA is expected to announce its ruling on Wednesday.

Citing "multiple sources," the report said, "The two major violations levied against the football program were found to be secondary violations and no further penalties were levied against the UT program, former coach Lane Kiffin or former assistant David Reaves."

More later at latimes.com/sports.

-- Gary Klein