Mark Sanchez Injured, May Miss Opener

USC starting quarterback Mark Sanchez dislocated his kneecap before practice began on Friday. Apparently it was a freak accident -- he landed wrong while playing catch. Click here for the full story from the paper.

The immediate reaction from those close to the program sounds optimistic, but he could be out for the opener against Virginia -- or longer. That opens the door for Mitch Mustain and Aaron Corp, who have no game experience at USC but were two of the most prized recruits in America in their high school classes. Mustain went 8-0 as the starting quarterback for Arkansas in 2006 before transferring to USC.

You may recall that after establishing himself as starting center last season, Kris O'Dowd dislocated his kneecap against Washington and was out for four games.

This blogger was at a wedding and missed practice, but got an account from Bobak (a reader who was on the sideline) that illustrates the general surprise:

Like virtually everybody else I missed Sanchez's injury... it happened so suddenly; earlier I watched him lead the QB group (Mustain, Corp and I believe McCaffery) over to a group of young students who had come to see practice so they could give high-fives --then they went to stretch and boom; like a bunch of people on the sidelines (including the press) it was "hey, where did Mark go?"

Conquest Chronicles has an in-depth series explaining football injuries and has examined dislocated patellas (kneecaps) in great detail. [Note: A couple of the pictures depict the injury and even part of a surgery, so it's not for those with weak stomachs.]

USC issued a press release, which you can read in full after the jump.

-- Adam Rose
Photo by Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times

Update on USC quarterback Mark Sanchez's practice injury (8-8-08) from USC Sports Information:

Sanchez dislocated his left kneecap during pre-practice warmups today. 

The injury occurred as he jumped slightly while making a throw and he landed awkwardly.  He was carted off the field, taken for X-rays and an MRI, then evaluated after practice by the USC doctors and athletic training staff.

It was a clean dislocation, with no complications (no ligament, cartilage or bone damage).  His knee will be immobilized over the weekend and he will start rehab on Monday.  He will be listed as day-to-day as of Monday.

Sanchez, a redshirted junior who started 3 games last season for an injured John David Booty, entered 2008 fall camp as the projected starter.  He has completed 72-of-121 passes (.595) for 758 yards with 7 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in his career.  Last year, he was 69-of-114 (.605) for 695 yards, 7 TDs and 5 picks.  He started 3 times, leading USC to wins versus Arizona and at Notre Dame before losing by 7 points at Oregon.

USC's other scholarship quarterbacks are sophomore Mitch Mustain and redshirt freshman Aaron Corp.  Mustain redshirted last season after transferring from Arkansas, where he started (and won) 8 games as a true freshman in 2006.  He completed 69-of-132 passes (.523) for 894 yards with 10 touchdowns and 9 interceptions at Arkansas in 2006 (he came off the bench in an opening loss to USC and hit 4-of-6 passes and ran for a TD).  Mustain was the national high school player of the year in 2005 out of Springdale (Ark.) High, a year after Sanchez was so honored while at Mission Viejo (Calif.) High.  Corp was a 2006 prep All-American while leading Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High to the California state Division II championship.

Today was the third day of USC's fall camp.  The 6-time defending Pac-10 champion Trojans open the season Aug. 30 at Virginia.

Quotes from USC head coach Pete Carroll:

"Mark dislocated his kneecap.  They put it back in (on the field).  There are no other complications.  It's a day-to-day deal.  We'll wait and see.  He's real encouraged and the doctors are, too.  It will be immobilized over the weekend, then he'll start rehab on Monday.  It's day-to-day and we'll see how it responds.

"On the other side of this, it's an extraordinary opportunity for the other quarterbacks to jump in and fight for the job.

"Before practice, Mark was throwing and came down on the side of his foot.  We'll have to wait and see.  As is always the case in situations like these, this is an extraordinary opportunity for the other quarterbacks.  We're so lucky to have guys like Mitch Mustain and Aaron Corp to jump in until Mark gets back.

"How we handle it and how we deal with it is what's important. Those guys jumped in today at practice and took the team down the field.  Both of them are championship kids.

"The concern we have now is that we only have 2 quarterbacks. Who's going to be number 3 as insurance is the question.  Somebody like (quarterback-turned-wideout) Garrett Green might get some work there now.

“Mark’s encouraged, he’s smiling and he knows he’s going to be alright.”

Quotes from Mark Sanchez:

"It's a dislocated kneecap.  I landed awkwardly when throwing.  It's pretty clean.  Nothing torn and no cartilage problems.  It's the best case scenario.  I'll start rehabbing on Monday and be back as soon as possible. 

"I feel good about the other guys being able to fill in.  It'll be a seamless transition.  They'll do well.

"It was scary, frightening at first.  The way they say these things happen, it could be a lot worse.  It just hurt a lot when it happened, but it feels better now.  It's day-to-day starting Monday.  I have heard about people who come back from this in a short period of time and others in a long period.  I'm hoping mine is short.

"I'm hoping to be back for the opener.  I'll work to get back before that.  I'll get back the fastest way possible.

"As soon as they said it wasn't an ACL or MCL, it was a relief.  It's a little frustrating to have this happen, but it'll make me work hard."

Comments

[Ryan]

El cholo is nomo.

[SAM]

Yes, I am glad that Sanchez is injured. Now we get a real QB in Mustain and/or Corp

[mickey shapiro]

Even if Mark Sanchez is "doing better", why risk making the problem more aggrevated by playing in Virginia........he need him at 100pc full strenght for Ohio State. Mustain is very well qualified to take us through the Virginia game.

[earl lindell]

If you want to see a quarterback light it up, watch Mustain. In Arkansas, he started 8 games and won them all. Mitch will take you to the promised land, not Sanchez.

[Buckeye Dave]

LIke it matters, the Buckeyes were going to win anyways, Sanchez is not even that good.

[Pat]

Markl Sanchez isn't that good, I think SC is better served with Mustain in the long haul, hes a year younger, and a much better ahlete, sanchez hasnt shown me anything, evry time he plays, hes mediocre, at least if mustain is that, hes jus a sophmore, and waht about aaron Corp, hes getting high grades from all of the coaches.

P.S. OHIO STATE IS GARBAGE, JUST AS CARSON PALMER