LOS ANGELES — Even though he has praised him profusely, USC coach Pete Carroll conceded Tuesday that he never expected freshman Matt Barkley to play at the same level as previous Trojans quarterbacks under his watch.

Barkley has 12 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions in 10 games entering Saturday’s regular-season finale vs. Arizona. From 2002-08, no USC quarterback had fewer than 28 touchdowns. Carroll’s hope is that whatever lessons Barkley learns this season will translate into greater success in the future.
“Ten or 11 interceptions for us in a year is about what we’ve expected at the max — with a lot of touchdown passes,” Carroll said. “That ratio hasn’t worked out as well as we’d like. But I think that will decisively improve in the years ahead.
“I would have told you, if you’d have asked me, that there’s no way we could have expect he’d be 36 and 8 or something like that, the great numbers that our guys have put up over the years. We wouldn’t have given him a chance to do that. And we haven’t given him a chance to throw the ball that much.
“The overexposure of a first-year guy would cause you to see the numbers in reverse. It’s so hard to do what he’s doing. But I think he’s battled through it. I think he’s done remarkably well. And I think he’s had a very successful first season. It’s shocked all of us that he’s been able to play and contribute as he has. It’s been a thrill to watch him, and you know the upside for the future is going to be tremendous.”
Barkley said he wasn’t sure what to expect this season, although he considers USC’s 8-3 record “disappointing” and his interception total “not acceptable.”
“I don’t really know if it met expectations or not,” Barkley said of his performance. “It has been up and down according to years previous to this year. ... At the same, there are a lot of things that I’ve learned from this year that I know will be helpful in my career.”

O’DOWD TO START
Center Kristofer O’Dowd will return to the starting lineup for Saturday’s game against Arizona, Carroll said. Jeff Byers will shift to left guard, and Butch Lewis will start at right guard.
O’Dowd, a junior from Tucson, started five of the first six games before getting benched because of ineffective play related to injuries.
Coincidentally, Alex Parsons, who had been starting at right guard, hurt his right knee and left the field with an ice pack on it.
NOTE
Tailback Joe McKnight missed his second consecutive practice because of a bruised left thigh. He expects to return on Wednesday.