LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matt Barkley is grateful to see new coach Lane Kiffin and his assistants on the field this week.
The Southern California quarterback was getting tired of running practices all by himself.
Barkley and senior Mitch Mustain took more than the usual leadership role this year while the Trojans’ NCAA woes shook the program and allowed several backups to leave the longtime West Coast power.
Although Barkley is just a sophomore, he says he never considered leaving USC. Instead, he urged his teammates to stick around.
And during voluntary workouts this summer, Barkley and Mustain put their teammates through workouts with a constant urgency to keep the Trojans near the top despite sanctions that have reduced their numbers.
