Maybe it’s just good fortune that USC decided to hold All-American offensive tackle Sam Baker out of practice the last two days with what was described as a strained oblique muscle in his rib cage.

After X-rays Tuesday, it turns out that Baker has a hairline crack of a rib and will be out through the weekend, giving Charles Brown and Thomas Herring a few more days as starters.

Drew Radovich was making some progress with his lower back strain, getting into shoulder pads for the first time in the afternoon, but not having worked since before the start of practice, he’s not in shape to play, Carroll said.