LOS ANGELES — Matt Barkley spent the bye weekend with family and friends in Orange County, celebrated his grandfather’s birthday and tried to forget three rough weeks that have seen the USC freshman quarterback’s stock drop dramatically and the Trojans’ dominance of the Pac-10 come to an abrupt end.

“Not really worried about the past,” Barkley said after the Trojans’ practice Tuesday night. “Can’t change it.”
Not that Barkley was totally able to get away from football.
“You can’t really not think about it this time of the season,” Barkley said.
Whether Barkley can bounce back after a series of poor performances is one of the major story lines this week leading up to No.24 USC and UCLA meeting Saturday night at the Coliseum. Barkley said he goes into his first game with the Bruins physically and mentally recharged after the Trojans’ off week.
“It was awesome,” Barkley said of the bye week. “I feel fresh, the arm feels strong.”
The bye week followed a three game stretch in which the former Mater Dei High star went from being mentioned as a possible Heisman Trophy candidate to being dubbed by some fans as the “Boy Blunder.”
In his past three games, Barkley has five interceptions and four TD passes for a passing efficiency rating of 103.05. Barkley threw three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and also had a fumble in Stanford’s 55-21 demolition of USC against a Cardinal defense that entered the game last in the Pac-10 in both interceptions (3) and takeaways (9).
Barkley admits to getting “sloppy” “here and there.” Free of focusing on a game plan, Barkley spent the past week working on fundamentals.
“I felt like I got back to basics, what I was taught,” Barkley said.
He is one of only two Pac-10 quarterbacks with 10 interceptions this season. The other, Washington’s Jake Locker, has also thrown for 17 TDs. Barkley has 11 TDs. And now in UCLA, he faces one of the nation’s most opportunistic secondaries.
The Bruins have 17 interceptions, five in their past three games, while giving up 14 touchdowns.
WILLIAMS IMPROVES
USC’s coaching and training staffs were encouraged by wide receiver/punt returner Damian Williams’ progress in practice Tuesday.
While still cautious about Williams’ chances of playing against UCLA, Coach Pete Carroll said
Williams ran better Tuesday than the staff had expected. Williams is trying to come back from an ankle sprain suffered against Arizona State.