USC has turned its focus from fall camp to game prep.

The team’s second scrimmage on Saturday ended “camp.” This week, USC is in a mock game week, trying to get the group transitioned to more of an in-season practice routine and attentiveness. Next week, they’ll be preparing for real. Rice comes to the LA Coliseum in 11 days.

Head coach Lincoln Riley wants his guys to understand they can’t just show up on Saturdays and dominate. If USC wins, it’ll be because of the work it accomplished during the week leading up to the game.

“A big thing we’re pushing on the guys right now is the game week practices are not a ‘save it up and gear up for the game,'” Riley said. “We intend to practice out here — especially on Tuesdays and Wednesdays — the way we expect to play on Saturdays.

“This is not a conserve and survive and just make it to Saturday (situation). You play like you practice. We expect these practices to be intense, physical. We’re going to push them mentally. And I thought they responded pretty good here on our first Tuesday.”

The great coaches keep that philosophy. The teams that win titles say the same thing, that practices were harder than games. Sounds like Riley is looking to instill the same at USC.

Other news and notes

>> Riley said the issue keeping freshman Domani Jackson off the practice field — he didn’t participate on Tuesday, marking more than a week of missed practices — is “definitely short-term.” They expect to have him back “in the next few days,” Riley said, and there’s a solid chance he’s back by the first game.

>> So much of the wideout emphasis has been on what USC added from the transfer portal this offseason, it’s easy to forget the Trojans are also returning a pair of receivers who both had north of 500 receiving yards last season. Gary Bryant Jr. had seven touchdowns. Tahj Washington had 54 receptions and 602 yards. Riley said he’s excited about both. “They both have very unique skill sets that certainly translate well to what we do offensively.” Riley expects to move them around more than the previous staff did.