USC quarterback Matt Barkley, who sprained his right shoulder in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 38-28 loss to UCLA, will not play in this week’s home game against No. 1 Notre Dame, Trojans coach Lane Kiffin said Sunday night.
Redshirt freshman Max Wittek will make his first start for the Trojans (7-4) on Saturday. He was 3-for-3 for 40 yards against the Bruins and is 8-for-9 for 95 yards and a touchdown for the season.
On Saturday, he’ll face an Irish team that ranks No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 10.1 points a game.
The Notre Dame game is USC’s final regular-season game, and it’s unclear whether Barkley will return for the Trojans’ bowl game.
Barkley left Saturday’s game after he was sacked by UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr and landed on his right shoulder.
“I feel very bad for him and his family,” Kiffin said during a teleconference with reporters. “Obviously, this is not the way anybody pictured the team’s season or his season going.”
This will be the second time that Barkley, a senior, will be sidelined for a Notre Dame game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. He sat out the Trojans’ 20-16 loss to the Irish in 2010 because of an ankle injury.
“It’s unfortunate for (Barkley’s) career that he’s not been around when Notre Dame has come into the Coliseum,” Kiffin said. “He’s been to South Bend twice and won twice, but he won’t be able to play at home.”
The strong-armed, 6-foot-4 Wittek has played in six games, all in mop-up duty except for his few minutes of action against UCLA.
“We have great confidence in Max,” Kiffin said. “I thought he did well (against UCLA) in a very difficult situation. … Standing around in the rain and to go into that game is not easy to do.
“Matt and Max are very similar physically, so I think that we would pretty much stick within our system.”
Redshirt freshman Cody Kessler will be the No. 2 quarterback against Notre Dame.