Leinart Is O’Brien Finalist

Matt Leinart might be trailing teammate Reggie Bush and Texas quarterback Vince Young in the latest Heisman Trophy polls, but the 2004 Heisman winner has a full complement of award possibilities.

On Tuesday, Leinart was announced as one of three finalists for the Davey O’Brien award, presented annually to the nation’s top quarterback. Young and Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn are other finalists.

Sophomore split end Dwayne Jarrett, Leinart’s favorite target, is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which recognizes the nation’s best receiver. Notre Dame’s Jeff Samardzija and Oregon State’s Mike Hass are other finalists.

Leinart said the top-ranked Trojans are benefiting from an off week after playing without a break since Sept. 17. USC plays UCLA on Dec. 3 at the Coliseum.

“We’ve just been nonstop,” he said. “This is a great week for us to kind of relax and start over and get ready for next week.”

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The Los Angeles City Attorney’s office has not decided whether to file charges against linebacker Rey Maualuga, but an attorney representing the freshman linebacker player said he expected the case would be resolved soon.

Maualuga was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor battery and released on his own recognizance on Nov. 1 after he allegedly punched a man during a Halloween party near campus.

Carmen Trutanich, who has represented several Trojan players the last few years, appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court on Maualuga’s behalf on Tuesday and was informed by a clerk that a scheduled court date had been vacated because no charges had been filed. However, the city attorney’s office has one year to do so if it chooses.

“You’ve got to have some sense of what justice is and I think that’s what the city attorney’s office is doing right now,” Trutanich said outside the courtroom. “They’re looking for a sense of justice in this case.”

Frank Mateljan, a spokesman for the city attorney’s office, said there was no specific timetable for resolution.

“They are reviewing the police report thoroughly and checking on witnesses that were at the scene and mentioned in the report,” Mateljan said.

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Results of an MRI exam showed that freshman receiver Patrick Turner suffered only a strained hamstring during warmups before the Fresno State game, a USC official said. With Turner out, senior William Buchanon is practicing at receiver.... Coach Pete Carroll said he did not expect that linebacker Thomas Williams would be available for the UCLA game. Williams had arthroscopic knee surgery last week.... Kicker Mario Danelo missed practice because of illness, according to Carroll. Troy Van Blarcom kicked a 52-yard field goal but also had three attempts blocked.