Trojans Look To End Losing Skid

Nov. 7, 1999

THE FACTS--USC (3-6 overall, 1-5 Pac-10) vs. Washington State (2-7, 1-5), Saturday, Nov. 13, 4 p.m. (PST), Martin Stadium, Pullman, Wash.

THEMES-A pair of struggling teams trying to stay out of the Pac-10 cellar meet in the Palouse. USC-its post-season hopes officially ended-is mired in a 5-game losing streak (its longest since a school-record 6 in a row in 1991), while Washington State has dropped its past 3. It's rare that both the Trojans and Cougars face off sporting losing records. All 6 of USC's losses in 1999 have been by 10 points or less (a first in Trojan history). USC has a higher winning percentage against WSU than any Pac-10 school. This is USC's final road trip of 1999, the second year in a row that USC has traveled to Washington State and the latest that the Trojans have ever visited Pullman. The game will be shown live regionally by ABC-TV.

RANKINGS--Neither USC nor Washington State are ranked.

SERIES-USC leads its series with Washington State, which dates back to 1921, 49-6-4 (86.4%, USC's best winning percentage against any Pac-10 team). The Trojans have won 26 of the last 28 meetings (and 32 of the past 35). Playing against the Cougars in the state of Washington (Pullman, Spokane and Seattle), USC is 13-2-2, with both losses (1930 and 1986) and both ties (1937 and 1950) coming in Pullman. In Pullman games, USC is 9-2-2, with wins in its last 5 trips there.

Last year in Pullman, USC posted a 42-14 win over Washington State on a cold (upper 40s) and wet (constant showers in the second and third quarters) evening. Troy exploded for 4 unanswered touchdowns--including 3 in the second half--after the Cougars tied the game at 14-14 early in the second quarter. The Trojan offense generated 456 total yards while the defense intercepted 6 passes--2 were by LB Chris Claiborne, including 1 for a TD--and allowed WSU to convert just 2-of-15 third downs. It was USC's most interceptions since getting a school-record 8 against California in 1982. After WSU scored on the game's first series (a 35-yard run by RB DeJuan Gilmore), USC countered near the end of the first quarter on a 13-yard TD pass from QB Mike Van Raaphorst to WR R. Jay Soward. Then, early in the second quarter, Claiborne stepped in front of a pass from QB Paul Mencke and ran it back 25 yards for a score. But the Cougars marched right back as Mencke hit WR Nian Taylor for a 29-yard TD. USC took the lead for good later in the quarter when TB Petros Papadakis bolted 53 yards up the middle to the end zone. It was all USC in the second half as QB Carson Palmer hit TE Lonnie Ford on a 2-yard TD toss and Soward ran 26 yards on a reverse to score on Troy's first 2 possessions of the third quarter. TB Chad Morton's 6-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter finished up the scoring. WSU managed just 97 yards of total offense (only 35 rushing) in the second half. Palmer, who came in when Van Raaphorst became ill in the second quarter, led USC to its final 28 points. He was 8-of-16 for 143 yards (all career bests) and Van Raaphorst went 9-of-15 for 99 yards. WR Billy Miller had a game-best 7 catches for 57 yards, Papadakis' 84 rushing yards (on 6 carries) was a game-high and Morton added 68 yards on 16 tries. S Ifeanyi Ohalete and CBs Daylon McCutcheon, Ken Haslip and Tanqueray Clark had USC's other interceptions. LB Zeke Moreno had a game-high 9 tackles, including 4 for losses.

ON TURF-USC is 12-4-1 in its last 17 games on artificial turf.

LOSING STREAK-This is only the fourth time in history that USC has lost 5 consecutive games (the others were 5-game streaks in 1957 and over the 1959 and 1960 seasons, and a school-record 6 straight losses in 1991). The school record for most games with a win (including ties) is 8 over the 1941 and 1942 seasons.

USC-WASHINGTON STATE CONNECTIONS-One Trojan--OG Travis Claridge (Fort Vancouver HS in Vancouver)--prepped in Washington, while Washington State has 36 California products...USC wide receivers coach Mike Wilson was a 3-year (1978-80) letterman at WSU, where he caught 47 passes and 6 TDs in his career...USC tight ends coach Steve Morton played center and offensive guard at Washington State in 1973 and 1974, then served there on the coaching staff for 12 years (1975-86)?USC WR Windrell Hayes is the brother of ex-WSU DB Ashanti Hayes (1994-95)?CB Antoinne Harris will celebrate his 23rd birthday this Saturday (Nov. 13).

LAST GAME-USC-unable to generate much offense-lost its fifth game in a row, this one to Arizona State, 26-16, before a Homecoming crowd of 53,382 in the Coliseum and a live national FOX Sports Net audience. Hoping to spark the offense, QB John Fox started for the Trojans and helped give USC an early lead as TB Chad Morton scored on a 2-yard run. But the Sun Devils responded on their ensuing possession (the first of 19 unanswered points), as QB Ryan Kealy hit TE Todd Heap on a 2-yard scoring pass. Then, early in the second quarter, ASU took a lead it never relinquished when TB J.R. Redmond ran for a 1-yard TD (it was set up by CB Kenny Williams' 30-yard interception return of a Fox pass on the previous play). Redmond scored again (a 3-yard run) on ASU's next drive. USC closed to 19-10 (ASU missed 2 PATs) late in the first half on a 29-yard field goal by PK David Newbury.

Then, midway through the fourth quarter, DT Ennis Davis intercepted a Kealy pass and rumbled 30 yards for a score (Newbury missed the PAT) as the Trojans edged within 3 points. But USC could not overtake the Sun Devils as its offense was ineffective after halftime (Troy generated just 130 total yards after intermission), even though the Trojan defense kept things close by recovering a fumble on one series and stopping ASU when it had first-and-goal on the 4 on another. But the Sun Devils picked off a pair of fourth quarter passes by QB Mike Van Raaphorst, who had replaced Fox on the second series of the second half. Redmond ran for his third TD of the day (a 14-yarder) late in the game to seal the win. Overall, ASU had more first downs (21-17), total yards (436-344). Redmond not only started at tailback (gaining a game-high 148 yards on 34 carries and catching 3 passes for 11 yards), he also started at free safety (notching 4 tackles) and returned 7 punts for 39 yards. Fox, making his first start since the end of the 1997 season, was 15-of-24 for 148 yards, while Van Raaphorst hit 12-of-24 passes for 91 yards. WR R. Jay Soward had 7 catches for 58 yards, WR Kareem Kelly added 6 for 51 yards and WR Windrell Hayes had 5 grabs for 96 yards, while Morton ran for 76 yards on 16 attempts. Kealy was 18-of-29 for 223 yards, including 7 passes to Heap for 100 yards. S David Gibson had a game-topping 15 tackles for USC, LB Zeke Moreno had 13 stops, S Ifeanyi Ohalete added 12 tackles and a fumble recovery and LB Markus Steele had 9 stops.

SCHEDULE--USC's 12-game schedule in 1999 is as challenging as ever (the Trojans have played slates ranked among the nation's 5 most difficult in 4 of the past 6 years). The Trojans played 4 of their first 6 contests on the road, but finish with 4 of their final 6 at home. Troy opened the season at Hawaii, played at Oregon, Arizona, Notre Dame and California and still must go to Washington State. San Diego State, Oregon State, Stanford and Arizona State have visited the Coliseum, with UCLA (which has won 8 in a row over USC) and Louisiana Tech (in the regular-season finale on the Friday of Thanksgiving weekend) still coming up at home.

CAPTAINS--USC's 3 season captains are TB Chad Morton (offense), S David Gibson (defense) and S Ifeanyi Ohalete (special teams). Morton, who was also a captain in 1998, is USC's first two-time captain since Dan Caley in 1902 and 1903 (and only the fourth Trojan ever).

FUN FACT I-Not only is this year's Trojan-Cougar game the latest in the season that USC has played Washington State since 1935 (when Troy hosted the Cougars on Nov. 16), but it is the latest the teams have ever faced each other in Pullman.

FUN FACT II-This is the first season ever that USC has lost 6 games all by 10 points or less.

FUN FACT III-This is only the second time that both USC and Washington State enter the game with losing records (1941 was the other year).

USC: COLLEGE OF THE YEAR 2000--USC has been chosen as the "College of the Year" by the 2000 edition of the Time/The Princeton Review College Guide. USC was chosen because of the remarkable bonds the university has forged with local schools, community residents, police, businesses and community organizations. "More institutions might do well to emulate USC's enlightened self-interest," according to the guide's editors. "For not only has the 'hood dramatically improved, but so has the university." The editors cited the university's model of service learning --the practice of applying academic theory to real-life situations through public service -- as their main reason for choosing USC as college of the year, saying USC has one of the most ambitious social-outreach programs of any university in the nation. USC also has seen its undergraduate applications nearly double over the last few years and is enrolling the most academically accomplished freshman class in its history. And USC is the only university in history to have received three individual gifts of $100 million or more ($110 million by the Keck Foundation to the School of Medicine, $120 million by Ambassador Walter H. Annenberg to establish the USC Annenberg Center for Communication and $100 million from Alfred E. Mann to establish the Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering).

HACKETT--Energetic and innovative Paul Hackett, a one-time USC assistant coach who has been on coaching staffs that have won a national championship in college and a Super Bowl in the pros, made an immediate mark on the Trojan football program upon his return to Troy as its head football coach.

In his first year at USC's helm, he led the Trojans to an 8-5 record in 1998 (5-3 in the Pac-10 for a third place tie) and a berth in the Sun Bowl.

With his 1998 opening win over Purdue, he became the first head coach to win his Trojan debut since Jess Hill in 1951, and by starting off 3-0, he became only the third Trojan coach since 1915 to win his first three games (joining Hill in 1951 and the legendary Howard Jones in 1925). Hackett is 1 of only 2 USC head coaches to have won their first outing against Notre Dame (John Robinson is the other). Hackett, Robinson and Larry Smith are the only USC coaches to have guided squads to a bowl game in their first seasons at Troy. The 52-year-old Hackett signed a 5-year contract to replace Robinson on Dec. 17, 1997. Regarded as one of the game's most progressive offensive coaches, he has 30 years of experience as a college and professional assistant and head coach. He has tutored some of football's top players--including Joe Montana, Marcus Allen, Jerry Rice, Andre Rison, Tony Dorsett, Steve Bartkowski, Charles White, Brian Sipe, Herschel Walker, Danny White, Dwight Clark and Vince Evans--and has worked under such head coaches as Bill Walsh, Tom Landry, Marty Schottenheimer and Robinson. Before coming to Troy, Hackett was the offensive coordinator at Kansas City for 5 years (1993-97). The Chiefs advanced to the NFL playoffs in 4 of those years, including 1997. Before that, he was at the University of Pittsburgh (1989-92), the first season as the quarterbacks coach and then 3 seasons as the Panthers' head coach (posting a 13-20-1 record). As a college coach, he has a 24-31-1 overall mark in 4 seasons (including 11-11 in his second year at USC). Hackett began his coaching career for 3 seasons (1969-71) at his alma mater, UC Davis. He then was an assistant at California for 4 years (1972-75). Then, at age 29, Hackett moved to USC for 5 years (1976-80), where under Robinson he was in charge of the quarterbacks and receivers for the first 2 years and then the quarterbacks and passing game the final 3 years. During his Trojan tenure, USC was the 1978 national champion, won 4 bowl games (including 3 Rose Bowls), posted a 50-8-2 record and produced a Heisman Trophy winner (White). Hackett began his pro coaching career as quarterbacks coach with the Cleveland Browns for 2 seasons (1981-82). He next was the quarterbacks and receivers coach with the San Francisco 49ers for 3 years (1983-85). The 49ers won Super Bowl XIX in the 1984 season. He then became the pass offense coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys for 3 years (1986-88) before returning to the college ranks at Pitt. A 3-year starting quarterback at UC Davis (1966-68), Hackett collects old music juke boxes filled with 1950s and 1960s rock 'n roll music. A rock music fan, he sat in the front row at the final Beatles concert, held in 1966 in Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Born on July 5, 1947 in Burlington, Vt., he shares a birthday with former USC head coach John McKay. One son, David, is an administrative assistant with the USC football program and the other, Nathaniel, is a redshirt freshman on UC Davis' football team.

MORTON--Exciting senior tailback Chad Morton (179 tcb, 797 yds, 4.5 avg, 9 TD in 1999, plus 16 rec for a 4.8 avg, 16.8 KOR avg and 7.6 PR avg), a lightning-quick jitterbug style runner, is in his second season as the starting tailback. He's on the 1999 Doak Walker Award "Watch List". With a 88.6 rushing average per game, he's on pace to break the 1,000-yard rushing barrier in 1999. The one-time defensive back has found his niche on offense, where he has 2,167 rushing yards (10th on USC's career rushing list) for a 5.0 average per carry--including 100-yard outings 10 times--on 434 carries with 15 scores as a tailback. He was just 15 yards shy of running for 1,000 yards last fall (985 yards), had a half dozen 100-yard games and ended up second in the Pac-10 in rushing (96.7). He also was used occasionally returning kicks (he took USC's first kickoff of 1998 back 98 yards for a touchdown) and punts, something he's doing again in 1999.

For the second year in a row, he is a USC captain, the first time that's happened at Troy since Dan Caley in 1902 and 1903 (and only the fourth time in history). And he stars in the classroom, where he has been a 3-time Pac-10 All-Academic first teamer and, with a 3.43 GPA as a sociology major, he's a top candidate for Academic All-American honors in 1999. He was named a 1999 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete (one of 9 Division I-A seniors), entitling him to an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship (he will be honored at a Dec. 7 dinner in New York City).

--In just over 2 quarters of action at Hawaii, he was just 5 yards shy of rushing for 100 yards, getting 95 yards on 19 carries (with a 17-yard TD) and caught 3 passes for 11 yards.

--Against San Diego State, he again just missed the 100-yard rushing barrier, gaining 91 yards on a career-best 30 carries (both game highs). He also caught a pair of passes for 7 yards, plus returned 2 kickoffs for 39 yards and a punt for 11 yards.

--He scored a career-best 3 touchdowns (all on short runs) and had a game-best 34 rushing yards on 18 carries at Oregon, plus 3 catches for 22 yards and a 20-yard kickoff return.

--Against Oregon State, he ran for a career-best 153 yards on 27 carries and had 2 scores (including an impressive 15-yard burst), plus caught 2 passes for 2 yards, and returned 2 kickoffs for 21 yards and a punt for 4 yards.

--Morton could get only 28 yards on 14 carries at Arizona.

--At Notre Dame, he ran for a game-high 85 yards and a TD on 21 carries.

--He rushed for a game-high 151 yards with a TD on 22 carries against Stanford and also caught 2 passes for 21 yards and returned 2 kickoffs for 42 yards.

--He had a game-best 84 yards on 12 carries (7.0 avg) at California, and also caught a 12-yard pass, returned 4 kickoffs for 67 yards and 3 punts for 23 yards, giving him 186 all-purpose yards.

--He topped USC in rushing against Arizona State with 76 yards and a TD on 16 carries (he also returned 2 kickoffs for 35 yards and caught 3 passes for 2 yards).

USC CAREER RUSHING LEADERS
(Includes bowl games)

                     TCB  NYG  AVG.
 1. Charles White   1147 6245 5.44
 2. Marcus Allen     932 4810 5.16
 3. Anthony Davis    784 3724 4.75
 4. Ricky Bell       710 3689 5.20
 5. O.J. Simpson     674 3423 5.08
 6. Mike Garrett     612 3221 5.27
 7. Fred Crutcher    670 2815 4.20
 8. Ricky Ervins     488 2337 4.79
 9. Clarence Davis   511 2323 4.54
10. Chad Morton      434 2091 4.99

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT CHAD MORTON

Former USC running back Shawn Walters: "He makes runs like you only see on 'John Madden Football.'"

Former Oregon State head coach Jerry Pettibone: "He's one of the most exciting runners I've seen in a long time."

USC offensive coordinator Hue Jackson: "He's like the Energizer Bunny out there. Any time you can put the ball in a guy's hands who is a threat to get to the end zone, that makes a difference. Everything doesn't have to be perfect for Chad to make a play. When things aren't exactly the way you wanted, he can squirt out and make a play. Pound for pound, he might be the best player I've ever coached. He's exceptionally fast, has quick feet, real good vision, and he's hard to tackle one on one."

Former USC Butkus Award winning linebacker Chris Claiborne: "Chad brings a lot of speed to the game. He's the kind of guy who stretches the defense."

Former USC safety Rashard Cook: "Chad can score on you in a second. He has to scare you every time he touches the ball. He hits the hole so fast and is right on top of you. As a defensive back, you know if you miss the tackle it's a touchdown."

Mike Waldner, South Bay Daily Breeze: "Pencil him in as USC's little big man...He has sensational speed. He also has the outstanding runner's knack of dipping in to make a sweep appear as if it is a run at tackle. Then he cruises back a few yards as he is running laterally to the line of scrimmage and explodes to the outside, turning upfield for a big gain. And he is tough. He may get beat up. But he does not back down."

SOWARD--Senior R. Jay Soward (42 rec, 11.6 avg, 3 TD in 1999, plus 7 tcb for a 6.0 avg, a 12.5 PR avg with a TD and a 22.0 KOR avg) is perhaps America's most explosive collegiate wideout. He is tied for 23rd nationally in punt returns (12.5 avg, third in the Pac-10). A 1999 pre-season All-American who was on the 1999 Biletnikoff Award "Watch List", he has scored a touchdown every 8.0 times he has touched the ball in his career (31 TDs on 289 plays) and those scores have averaged 48.5 yards each (1,502 yards). He has scored 4 different ways (22 on receptions, 3 on kickoff returns, 3 on reverses and 3 on punt returns). A 3-year starter, he is fourth on USC's career reception list (152 grabs, 20th on the all-time Pac-10 list), second on the all-time kickoff return chart (1,398 yards) and 18th on the career punt return ladder (313 yards). In his career, he has 23 plays of 40-plus yards (6 for 80-plus yards). With 6 scoring punt/kickoff returns, he is within reach of the NCAA record of 8.

--At Hawaii, he caught 3 passes for 34 yards, ran 20 yards on a reverse, returned 3 punts for 30 yards and a kickoff for 3 yards.

--He had 2 catches for 25 yards against San Diego State, plus 2 punt returns for 44 yards (including a 38-yarder)

--He had a breakout game at Oregon, collecting 241 all-purpose yards, including 148 (with a TD) on a career-high 12 receptions, 81 on 3 kickoff returns, 9 on 2 punt returns and 3 on 2 carries.

--Although he didn't catch a pass against Oregon State while bothered by nausea and dehydration, he had a spectacular zigzagging 85-yard scoring punt return to open the game's scoring (he returned 3 punts overall for 92 yards, plus had a 14-yard kickoff return) and Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week and Compaq National Play of the Week honors for his performance.

--He caught 3 passes for 29 yards at Arizona and returned a kickoff 31 yards before leaving with a concussion early in the fourth quarter.

--At Notre Dame, he had a game-high 10 catches for 101 yards with a 12-yard TD, plus ran 23 yards on 2 reverses, returned 2 kickoff for 54 yards and had a 5-yard punt return (giving his 183 all-purpose yards).

--He caught 5 passes for 92 yards (including a 64-yard TD) against Stanford, plus returned a kickoff 15 yards.

--He sat out the California game with a hamstring pull.

--He led USC in receptions against Arizona State with 7 for 58 yards and also returned a kickoff 22 yards.

USC CAREER PASS CATCHING LEADERS
(Includes bowl games)

                       NO. YDS   AVG. TD
 1. Johnnie Morton    201 3201 15.93  23
 2. Keyshawn Johnson  168 2796 16.64  16
 3. John Jackson      163 2379 14.60  17 
 4. R. Jay Soward     152 2454 16.14  22

USC CAREER KICKOFF RETURN LEADERS
(Includes bowl games)

                   NO. YDS   AVG. TD
 1. Curtis Conway  73 1723 23.60   1
 2. R. Jay Soward  55 1398 25.42   3

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT R. JAY SOWARD

South Carolina head coach Lou Holtz: "He's one of the great receivers I've seen. Throw him a 4-yard hitch and he can turn it into a 70-yard gain. He reminds me so much of Raghib Ismail, the way he does things with his quickness, abilities and talent."

Notre Dame head coach Bob Davie: "I can't imagine there are many receivers in this country better than him. He reminds me an awful lot of Terry Glenn, who played at Ohio State. He's an excellent return man and a game- breaker player."

California head coach Tom Holmoe: "We just couldn't stop him."

Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti: "R. Jay Soward is probably the most dangerous player in the conference. He forces you to do things you don't want to do and commit more to cover him."

Oregon State head coach Dennis Erickson: "He has unbelievable speed. He is very athletic. He is probably one of the best, if not the best, receivers in college football right now. He is a threat all the time. He is a guy you must keep in front of you because he is a game breaker. He creates concern for everyone who plays against USC."

Robyn Norwood, Los Angeles Times: "You don't see many like Soward. He has become a cornerback's nightmare."

Earl Gustkey, Los Angeles Times: "At USC, R. Jay Soward is the preferred new spelling for E-X-P-L-O-S-I-V-E."

Lyle Spencer, Riverside Press-Enterprise: "He's a burner blessed with the explosiveness and fearlessness of Keyshawn Johnson."

Steve Bisheff, Orange County Register: "With Soward, it's not just speed. It is moves. It is an innate ability to make tacklers miss that only the naturally gifted broken-field runners possess."

Phil Collin, South Bay Daily Breeze: "His chatty personality is a perfect compliment to his ability, which throws a scare into opponents, draws gasps from USC fans and tests the patience of anyone within hearing distance. He has been compared to USC's legendary talker, Keyshawn Johnson, which Soward takes as a compliment. But more important, he is also being compared to Johnson as a player who will deliver the big play, whether it's as a wide receiver or kick returner. For all the talk, it's not all swagger."

Ed Graney, San Diego Union-Tribune: "You really have to see Soward in person to appreciate his ability. His is an extra gear that separates from defenders, combined with the kind of instincts that set him apart. He really is incredible."

USC wide receivers coach Mike Wilson: "R. Jay has great potential. I've played with Jerry Rice. I've coached James Jett and Tim Brown. R. Jay has the speed to play at that level if he continues to work hard and stay focused. He's extremely confident. There's nothing wrong with it. He has the energy you need to be a successful player."

USC quarterback Mike Van Raaphorst: "It's scary. He's got a gear when he gets going. He puts it in gear and it's like the Millennium Falcon, he puts it in super-space. Or hyper-space...On a deep route, you just try to get back as quick as you can and throw it as far as you can...I have yet to see him overthrown...No matter how far you throw it, if you put enough air on it, he's going to catch up with the ball."

USC quarterback Carson Palmer: "I just have faith in him that he's going to go up and get the ball. He's so fast, opponents have to respect his speed, but they can't overplay him. If you're expecting a deep catch, he'll take a quick hitch and outrun you, he's so hard to tackle in the open field."

R. JAY SOWARD'S CAREER LONG PLAYS (40-PLUS YARDS)

YARDS   PLAY OPPONENT           YEAR
98 (TD) KOR  Arizona State      1996
97 (TD) Rec. Illinois           1996
95 (TD) KOR  Washington State   1997
85 (TD) PR   Oregon State       1999 
80 (TD) PR   California         1998
80 (TD) Rec. UCLA               1997
78 (TD) KOR  Washington State   1996
78 (TD) Rec. UCLA               1996
78 (TD) Rec. UNLV               1997
77 (TD) Rec. California         1998
74 (TD) PR   San Diego State    1998
66      Rec. UCLA               1996
65 (TD) Rec. California         1997
64 (TD) Rec. Stanford           1999
62      KOR  Arizona State      1998
60 (TD) Rec. UCLA               1996
56      KOR  Houston            1996
53 (TD) Rec. San Diego State    1998
49      KOR  Notre Dame         1996
44 (TD) Rec. UNLV               1997
44      Rec. Notre Dame         1998
42      Run  San Diego State    1998
40      Rec. UCLA               1997

QUARTERBACKS--USC features 3 quarterbacks ranked in the school's career Top 15 passing chart and each has started at least 8 games. With the injury to sophomore Carson Palmer (39-of-53, 73.6%, 490 yds, 3 TD, 3 int in 1999) at Oregon, re-assuming the starting quarterback role the next 5 games (Oregon State, Arizona, Notre Dame, Stanford and California) was junior Mike Van Raaphorst (139-of-258, 53.9%, 1,758 yds, 8 TD, 9 int in 1999), who started USC's first 8 games of 1998 before giving way to Palmer. He also started twice in 1997. He is ninth on USC's career passing list (229 completions) and 19th on the all-time total offense chart (2,809 yards), and owns the USC single game passing yardage record (415 yards versus Stanford in 1999) and total offense mark (390 yards against Stanford in 1999). His 139 completions in 1999 is good for 14th on USC's season passing ladder. The starter last week against Arizona State was senior John Fox (27-of-49, 55.1%, 374 yds, 1 TD, 1 int in 1999), who started 9 games at quarterback in 1997 but was No. 3 last season and didn't take a snap (he also played briefly at tight end and on special teams in 1998). Fox switched to linebacker in 1999 and spent the first 3 games as USC's utility player: he was the holder on all placekicks, he was on the kickoff and kick return teams, he was the protection man on punts, he saw action as a reserve inside linebacker and he was the emergency quarterback. He concentrates on quarterback and holder now, he played quarterback most of the second half at California before starting versus ASU. He is 12th on Troy's all-time passing ladder (180 completions). Palmer opened eyes in the college football world with his impressive play as a true freshman in 1998...and he improved on that as the starter in the first 3 games in 1999 before being sidelined with a broken right collarbone. Already, he ranks 15th on USC' career passing chart with 169 completions. A starter in USC's last 5 games of 1998 (he played significantly off the bench in Troy's first 8 contests), he became only the second first-year frosh to start for USC at the position (the other was 1-game 1991 starter Rob Johnson, now in the NFL). He threw for at least 200 yards in 4 of his 5 starts in 1998.

--Palmer was a near-perfect 14-of-16 (87.5%) for 167 yards and a 32-yard TD pass at Hawaii (he was never sacked) and also ran 9 yards for a score on a bootleg in just over 2 quarters of action, while Van Raaphorst was 5-of-10 for 83 yards and Fox got in the game at quarterback for USC's final series but didn't attempt a pass.

--Palmer played the whole game against San Diego State, where he was 16-of-24 for 188 yards and 2 TDs, but threw a pair of interceptions.

--Palmer broke his right collarbone after being tackled while scrambling for a 3-yard gain at the end of the first half at Oregon (he had completed 9-of-13 passes for 135 yards (with a pick) to that point), so Van Raaphorst came in and performed brilliantly, completing 20-of-36 passes for 227 yards (all then-career bests) with a TD.

--Van Raaphorst got his first start of 1999 and responded well by completing 17-of-31 passes for 197 yards against Oregon State (Fox played 1 snap).

--At Arizona, Van Raaphorst completed 23-of-41 passes for 291 yards, all then-career highs, and threw 2 TDs with an interception.

--Van Raaphorst threw for a career-best 298 yards at Notre Dame on 23-of-41 passing (equaling his career highs), with 2 TD tosses and an interception.

--Against Stanford, Van Raaphorst set a USC single game record with 415 passing yards and his yardage, completions (25) and attempts (51) set or equaled career bests for the third week in a row (he also had career highs with 3 TD passes, including a pair of 64-yarders, and 3 interceptions), his 390 yards of total offense was also a USC game mark.

--Van Raaphorst started at California and hit 14-of-24 passes for 156 yards with an interception before being relieved early in the third quarter by Fox, who hit 12-of-25 passes for 226 yards (including a USC season-long 72-yard TD toss) while seeing his first significant action at quarterback since 1997.

--Fox started against Arizona State (his first start since the end of the 1997 season) and hit 15-of-24 passes for 148 yards with an interception before giving way to Van Raaphorst early in the second half (Van Raaphorst was 12-of-24 for 91 yards with 2 picks).

RUNNING BACKS--Besides the previously-mentioned Morton, USC has many other talented runners. Since senior tailback Petros Papadakis, who started 4 games last fall, broke his foot in fall camp and will miss the 1999 season, look for contributions from 3 other tailbacks: redshirt freshman Sultan McCullough (51 tcb, 227 yds, 4.5 avg, 1 TD in 1999, plus 1 rec, 6.0 avg), the No. 2 tailback and the fastest player in Trojan football history (running for the USC track team this past spring, he was the Pac-10 100-meters champion and twice won a 100 in 10.17, good for No. 5 all-time on Troy's vaunted sprinting list), sophomore Malaefou MacKenzie (11 tcb, 35 yds, 3.2 avg, 3 TD in 1999, plus 3 rec, 7.0 avg), who was second on Troy in rushing in 1997 (332 yards) while starting twice but who redshirted last fall with a knee injury (a hamstring injury has sidelined him for the San Diego State, Oregon, Oregon State and Arizona games this season), and senior Jabari Jackson (17 tcb, 45 yds, 2.6 avg in 1999, plus 9 rec, 6.3 avg and 8.0 KOR avg). At times in 1999, more than one tailback is employed, whether in split back formations or as a slot receiver. Manning the traditional fullback role has been sophomore Charlie Landrigan (9 rec, 6.2 avg in 1999), along with junior Brennan Ochs, who started the 1998 season opener, and redshirt freshman Chad Pierson (1 tcb, -1.0 avg in 1999, plus 1 rec, 5.0 avg). Ochs started the first 3 games of 1999 and Landrigan the past 6.

--At Hawaii, McCullough ran for 83 yards on 17 carries (with a 5-yard TD) and MacKenzie had 3 short scoring runs.

--Versus San Diego State, McCullough gained 10 yards on 3 carries, while Jackson had 4 yards on 3 carries and also caught 3 passes for 28 yards (MacKenzie and Strong were sidelined with injuries).

--At Oregon, Jackson had 5 yards on 2 carries and 9 yards on 3 catches (MacKenzie missed the game with an injury).

--McCullough had 17 yards on 4 rushes against Oregon State, Jackson caught 2 passes for 13 yards and ran once for 3 yards, Strong had 2 grabs for 22 yards and Landrigan had 3 receptions for 23 yards.

--At Arizona, McCullough had 15 yards on 5 tries and Jackson caught a 7-yard pass.

--McCullough had 13 yards on 6 carries at Notre Dame, MacKenzie added 8 yards on 2 tries, Landrigan had 3 catches for 27 yards and Pierson added a 5-yard catch.

--McCullough ran for 47 yards on 6 carries against Stanford, MacKenzie added a 2-yard run and Landrigan caught a 4-yard pass.

--McCullough had 37 yards on 7 rushes at California and also caught a 6-yard pass, Jackson added 3 yards on 2 carries and Pierson got his first career carry (for a 1-yard loss).

--Against Arizona State, McCullough had 8 yards on 2 carries, Jackson gained 2 yards on a rush, MacKenzie caught 3 passes for 21 yards and Landrigan had a catch (for a 2-yard loss).

WIDE RECEIVERS---USC's receiving unit literally is in good hands in 1999 with the already-mentioned Soward and fellow starter Windrell Hayes (43 rec, 13.5 avg, 4 TD in 1999), a sure-handed senior who runs precise routes.

He is 22nd nationally in receptions (6.2, third in Pac-10). He has 149 catches between his 2 seasons at San Jose State and 2 years at USC. Additionally, there are 3 precocious newcomers who are being called upon (all have started at least once in 1999): prep All-Americans Kareem Kelly (team-best 49 rec, 17.4 avg, 2 TD in 1999), the California prep 100 (1999) and 200 (1998 and 1999) champion who started against Oregon State and Arizona and has set USC freshman records for most catches (49, tied for 11th on USC's single season chart) and receiving yards (853, the most by a Trojan since Keyshawn Johnson had 1,434 in 1995), Marcell Allmond (14 rec, 16.6 avg, 2 TD in 1999, plus 17.0 KOR avg), the California prep high hurdles champ in 1998 and 1999 who started at California, and Steve Stevenson (4 rec, 15.8 avg in 1999, plus 13.0 KOR avg), who became the first freshman since Johnnie Morton in 1990 and first true freshman since Randy Tanner in 1984 to start for USC at wide receiver when he did so at Oregon. Kelly, who has had 4 outings with 100 receiving yards, currently is 17th nationally in receiving yards (94.8, third in Pac-10).

--At Hawaii, Hayes had a game-high 6 catches for 80 yards (including a 32-yarder for USC's first TD of 1999), Kelly caught 5 throws for a game-best 104 yards and Allmond made a 9-yard grab despite having his helmet ripped off.

--Against San Diego State, Kelly had 6 catches for 98 yards (both game highs), including 13-yard TD in the fourth quarter (the game's decisive points) as he outleaped an SDSU defender (who ripped off his helmet on the tackle), while Hayes made a 15-yard reception early in the game before being sidelined with an ankle sprain.

--Kelly had another solid outing with 5 catches for 87 yards at Oregon, while Stevenson's 2 catches for 51 yards set up USC touchdowns.

--Kelly had 3 receptions for 56 yards against Oregon State, Allmond added 2 grabs for 38 yards and Stevenson caught a 7-yarder.

--At Arizona, Hayes returned from a 2-game layoff because of an ankle injury and had a personal-high 115 receiving yards on a game-best 9 catches (equaling his career high in receptions), while Kelly added 6 catches for 100 yards (giving USC its first pair of 100-yard receivers in a game since 1997), Allmond had 2 grabs for 32 yards (including a 21-yard TD, his first as a Trojan) and Stevenson had a 5-yard catch.

--At Notre Dame, Hayes caught 8 passes for a game-high 107 yards with a 23-yard TD and Kelly hauled in a spectacular 58-yard pass to set up a score.

--Kelly caught 8 passes for 129 yards (both game bests and career highs) against Stanford, Hayes added 6 receptions for 79 yards with a TD and Allmond had 3 for 90 yards with a 64-yard score.

--Kelly had 9 catches for 170 yards (both career and game bests) with a 72-yard TD (a USC 1999 long reception) at California, Hayes added 8 grabs for 88 yards and Allmond had 5 receptions for 55 yards (both personal highs).

--Kelly had 6 catches for 51 yards against Arizona State, while Hayes added 5 for 96 yards (with a 56-yarder to set up a field goal) and Allmond had 1 for 9 yards.

TIGHT ENDS---Veteran Antoine Harris (6 rec, 13.5 avg, 1 TD in 1999) is a 2-year starter who brings good hands (31 career grabs) and blocking ability to the tight end position. Behind him is redshirt freshman Scott Huber (1 rec, 2.0 avg in 1999) and senior Pat Swanson (4 rec, 16.8 avg in 1999), who doubles as the long snapper.

--Harris opened the San Diego State game's scoring by catching a 13-yard TD pass and Huber had a 2-yard reception (his first catch at USC).

--At Oregon, Swanson had 2 grabs for 37 yards and Harris added a 4 yard catch.

--Harris had 2 catches for 36 yards against Oregon State.

--Harris caught a 3-yard pass at Arizona.

--At California, Swanson caught a 26-yard pass and Harris a 25-yarder.

--Swanson had a 4-yard catch versus Arizona State.

OFFENSIVE LINE---Entering last year, the line was USC's most unsettled offensive unit, as only 1 player with any measurable experience was in the lineup. It's quite different in 1999, as all of last fall's starters are back and they're all upperclassmen, although there has been some shuffling of positions. Further, injuries have resulted in 5 different starting units in USC's 9 games in 1999. The veteran is rough-and-tough senior right tackle Travis Claridge, who has started all 45 games of his USC career. On track to start all 48 games of his Trojan career, he'd be the first USC offensive lineman to do that since Jeff Bregel (1983-86), but the first to do so from the day he stepped on campus (Bregel redshirted his first year). Claridge was moved to right tackle this year after starting the previous 3 seasons at right guard. He was an All-Pac-10 first team pick in 1998 and is a pre-season All-American this year. He's on the 1999 Outland Trophy "Watch List" (SPORT magazine lists him as the favorite to win the Outland Trophy). Perhaps USC's most underrated lineman is junior Brent McCaffrey, the returning starter at the all-important left tackle spot. He didn't start against Notre Dame, Stanford or California (but played) while coming off an ankle sprain, so junior Trevor Roberts started in his place (Roberts missed the Arizona State contest with a broken wrist suffered at California). McCaffrey, who worked on his grandfather's Fresno farm as a youngster, was named to the 1999 All-American Farm Team by Successful Farming magazine. Senior Jason Grain, who started 9 times at guard and twice at center in 1998, started the first 5 games of 1999 at guard (this year on the right side) before tearing knee cartilage (redshirt freshman Zach Wilson has started the past 4 games in his place). Senior Donta Kendrick, who started once last season after transferring from a junior college, emerged as the starting left guard (he missed the Oregon State and Arizona games with an ankle injury, didn't start-but played-at Notre Dame, then missed the Stanford game after re-spraining his ankle, but returned to the starting lineup at California). Junior Eric Denmon, who started 3 times in 1998, captured the center job (he missed the Oregon State game with a knee injury and didn't start-but played-at Arizona). Several others with starting experience are also in the mix: junior Matt Welch, who started 10 times at right tackle in 1998 after transferring from a junior college (he also doubles as a tight end in short yardage situations, putting on jersey No. 98), senior Matt McShane, an 8-game 1998 starter at center (he started this year's Arizona and Notre Dame games), and sophomore tackle-guard Faaesea Mailo, a 3-game starter in 1996 who is back this fall from a 2-year Mormon mission (he started against Oregon State, Arizona, Notre Dame and Stanford, then missed the California contest with a leg bruise), look for him at fullback in short yardage situations.

DEFENSIVE LINE--USC's strongest defensive unit seems to be the line, as 2 starters return from 1998 (a third 1998 starter is now playing linebacker). Both tackles are back to serve as anchors up front: beefy junior Ennis Davis (29 tac, 7 for loss, team-high 5 sac, 2 FR, 1 FF, 2 int with a TD, 4 dfl in 1999), who won All-Pac-10 first team honors last fall and is a 1999 pre-season All-American, and senior Aaron Williams (23 tac, 2 for loss, 1 sac, 4 dfl, 1FF in 1999), who started the last 5 games of 1998 (he has been an often-used backup most of 1999, but did start against Stanford). Davis topped the Trojans in tackles for losses (13) last fall, while Williams recovered a team-best 4 fumbles. Davis is on the "Watch Lists" for the 1999 Outland Trophy and Bronko Nagurski Trophy. Sophomore Ryan Nielsen (34 tac, 4 for loss, 1 sac, 1 FR, 3 dfl in 1999), who started the 1998 opener, has started all but the Stanford game of 1999 for Williams. Also seeing action, especially in short yardage downs, is freshman Bernard Riley (5 tac in 1999), a 1998 prep All-American. Manning the end spots, now that junior Sultan Abdul-Malik has moved to linebacker, are a pair of juniors--Matt Childers (19 tac, 5 for loss, 3 sac, 2 FF, 3 dfl in 1999), who redshirted last season after transferring from Kansas State and has started all of 1999 except the California and Arizona State games, and Shamsud-Din Abdul-Shaheed (13 tac, 5 dfl in 1999), a 7-game starter (5 at end, 2 at tackle) in 1998 and the starter versus California and Arizona State in 1999--on one side and a pair of sophomores--Lonnie Ford (20 tac, 8 for loss, 3 sac, 2 FF in 1999), who started twice at tight end in 1998 (he caught a touchdown) but was moved to defense this past spring and has been the starter in all but the Oregon State game, or Kori Dickerson (12 tac in 1999), the starter against Oregon State who has high jumped 6-8 for the USC track team--on the other.

--Williams had 3 stops and 2 deflections at Hawaii, Ford had 2 sacks among his 3 tackles, Nielsen added 3 tackles and Childers 2, Abdul-Shaheed was suspended for the opener (for a team rules violation from last spring).

--Childers had 6 tackles against San Diego State and Ford added 2 stops and a forced fumble which Nielsen recovered (Nielsen also had 3 tackles, with a sack).

--At Oregon, Nielsen had 9 tackles, Williams 7, Davis 6, Childers 3 (with a forced fumble) and Ford 2.

--Davis recovered a fumble, forced another, broke up a pass and had 3 tackles (1 sack) against Oregon State, Childers forced a fumble, broke up 2 passes and made 3 stops (2 for losses), Abdul-Shaheed had 5 tackles and a deflection, Dickerson had 4 stops and Ford and Nielsen each made a tackle.

--Davis had 6 stops (1 for a loss) at Arizona, Childers and Nielsen added 3, Abdul-Shaheed, Dickerson, Ford and Williams had a pair apiece.

--At Notre Dame, Davis had 5 tackles (4 were for losses, including 3 sacks) and recovered a fumble, Williams had 3 stops and forced a fumble, Nielsen and Ford had 2 tackles each, and Childers and Dickerson had 1 each.

--Nielsen had 5 tackles and 2 deflections (1 leading to an interception) against Stanford, Abdul-Shaheed had 3 stops and a deflection, Williams had 2 tackles with a sack, Ford had 1 tackle for a loss and Davis intercepted a pass and had 2 deflections.

--At California, Williams posted 5 tackles with a deflection, Ford, Davis and Nielsen 3 each, Abdul-Shaheed and Riley 2 apiece, and Childers 1 stop with a deflection.

--Davis intercepted a pass against Arizona State and returned it 30 yards for a TD (he also had 6 tackles), while Nielsen had 5 stops, Ford 3, Abdul-Shaheed and Riley 2 each, and Williams and Dickerson 1 each.

LINEBACKERS--Talk about a unit that could have been affected by personnel losses in 1999 and the linebacking corps jumps out. After all, unanimous All-American middle linebacker Chris Claiborne, the 1998 Butkus Award winner and Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year who had 312 tackles and 8 interceptions while starting for 3 years, went on to the NFL after his junior campaign (he was a first round pick) and 1998 weakside starter David Gibson moved back to the secondary. But the linebacking play has been superb. USC's only returning linebacker is junior Zeke Moreno (team-high 88 tac, 4 for loss, 3 sac, 2 int with a TD, 1 FR with a TD, 2 FF, 2 dfl in 1999)...and he's a good one (he was on the 1999 Butkus Award "Watch List").

When injuries struck the spot last year, he stepped in and started 12 times on the strong side. He starts in the middle in 1999. Hard-charging junior Sultan Abdul-Malik (23 tac, 4 for loss, 2 sac, 1 dfl, 1 FR in 1999), who started the past 2 seasons at defensive end, moved this past spring to the strongside linebacker spot, where he starts (he was a linebacker in high school). He also was on the 1999 Butkus Award "Watch List." He led the Trojans in sacks each of the past 2 years (16 in his career). J.C. All-American Markus Steele (79 tac, team-best 11 for loss, 3 sac, 6 dfl, 1 int, 3 FF, 2 FR with 1 TD in 1999), a junior, made an immediate impact in fall camp and starts on the weakside. He's upholding the USC tradition of outstanding defensive players wearing the No. 55 jersey, including NFLers Claiborne, Junior Seau and Willie McGinest. Moreno is fourth in the Pac-10 in tackles (9.7) and Steele is sixth (8.8). Also seeing action are sophomores Darryl Knight (6 tac, 2 dfl in 1999), who spent a few mid-season games in 1999 playing tight end and started for an injured Steele against Stanford (prior to the Arizona State game, he was indefinitely suspended for a violation of team rules), and Henry Wallace (6 tac in 1999) and freshmen Troy Polamalu (11 tac, 2 sac, 2 FF, 1 dfl in 1999), who has sat out the past 3 games with a concussion, and Aaron Graham (4 tac, 1 FR in 1999).

--At Hawaii, Steele began his college career with 4 tackles (1 was a sack), 2 deflections (1 led to a USC interception) and a recovered fumble which he returned 46 yards for a TD, while Moreno added 3 stops.

--Moreno had a game-high 13 tackles against San Diego State and also intercepted a pass, Steele made 9 tackles (2 for losses, with a sack), intercepted a pass and forced a fumble which he recovered, and Abdul-Malik made 3 stops (including a sack).

--Steele had a game-high 16 tackles at Oregon, Moreno added 15 and Polamalu had 4 (each had a forced fumble).

--With his predecessor Claiborne in attendance watching from the sideline, Moreno had a fabulous outing against Oregon State: he scored twice (on a 17-yard fumble runback and a 71-yard interception return) and made a game-best 13 tackles (with an 11-yard sack) to earn Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week, Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week and Compaq National Interception of the Week honors. Steele added 4 stops, Abdul-Malik 3, Wallace and Graham each had 2 and Polamalu 1.

--Steele posted a game-high 14 tackles (2 for losses) and a deflection at Arizona, Moreno had 6 stops (including a 14-yard sack) and forced a fumble which Antuan Simmons returned 44 yards for a TD, and Abdul-Malik had 2 tackles.

--Steele had a game-high 12 tackles at Notre Dame (2 for losses, with a sack) and forced a fumble, Abdul-Malik had 7 stops (2 for losses, with a sack), recovered a fumble and broke up a pass, Moreno added 6 tackles and Polamalu 1.

--Moreno had a game-high 12 tackles against Stanford, Knight added 4 stops, Steele also had 4 tackles despite playing a limited role while bothered by shoulder and ankle sprains and Abdul-Malik had 3 stops.

--Moreno (with a sack) and Steele (with 3 for losses) tied for the team-high in tackles at California with 7, Abdul-Malik added 2 stops (1 for a loss) and Knight had 1.

--Moreno had 13 tackles against Arizona State, Steele added 9 with a deflection and Adbul-Malik had 1.

SECONDARY--The secondary is another area that had to be revamped almost totally in 1999, as 3 starters departed. It was a challenge to replace 4-year starting cornerback Daylon McCutcheon, a 1998 All-Pac-10 first teamer and Thorpe Award semifinalist who had 10 interceptions, 46 pass break-ups and 187 tackles in his career, plus 2-year starters Rashard Cook (a 1998 All-Pac-10 first teamer with 218 career stops) at free safety and Grant Pearsall (138 tackles overall) at strong safety. There's no doubt that junior cornerback Antuan Simmons (43 tac, 5 for losses, 2 sac, 9 dfl, 2 FR with 1 for a TD, 1 FF, 3 int, 3 blk in 1999), a 2-year starter (at rover linebacker and strong safety in 1997 and at cornerback last season), has emerged as an outstanding defender capable of continuing USC's tradition of noted defensive backs. He returned 2 of his picks for touchdowns last fall and made an impact on special teams by blocking 3 kicks. He has 6 career blocks. He's on the 1999 Thorpe Award "Watch List." The secondary got a boost when senior David Gibson (68 tac, 3 for loss, 2 FR, 1 FF, 1 int, 3 dfl in 1999) returned after spending 1998 as Troy's starting weakside linebacker. He's now back at his more natural position, strong safety (he started in 1997 at rover linebacker, a combination linebacker and strong safety). Always around the ball, he is USC's top returning tackler (85 in 1998). The free safety is junior Ifeanyi Ohalete (62 tac, 2 for loss, 1 sac, team-high 12 dfl, 1 int, Pac-10-high 4 FF, 2 FR in 1999), who started 4 early-season games at strong safety in 1998. Gibson and Ohalete are 1999 USC captains. Sophomore Kris Richard (29 tac, team-high 4 int with 1 TD, 1 FR, 2 FF, 6 dfl in 1999) won the vacant cornerback job in spring ball and has done well. Others who see the field include senior Tanqueray Clark (2 tac in 1999), who started versus San Diego State, soph Eric Reese (4 tac, 1 sac in 1999) and freshmen Darrell Rideaux (12 tac, 3 dfl in 1999), a 1998 prep All-American who was the California state 100 champion in 1998, and Kevin Arbet (5 tac, 1 dfl in 1999) at corner and soph Frank Strong (7 tcb, 27 yds, 3.9 avg in 1999, plus 3 rec, 11.3 avg) and junior John Morgan (5 tac, 1 for loss in 1999) at safety. Strong, who was moved from tailback prior to this year's Stanford game, became just the fourth USC first-year freshman to start at tailback when he did so versus California in 1998. Arbet and Morgan are former walk-ons who earned scholarships in 1999.

--Simmons had a team-best 5 tackles (including a sack) at Hawaii (along with a deflection), Gibson posted 3 tackles, recovered 2 fumbles and broke up a pass, Ohalete had 3 tackles (with a sack) and a forced fumble, Richard had 3 stops, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery and a forced fumble, and Polamalu had 4 tackles (1 sack) and a forced fumble.

--Richard intercepted a pair of passes (returning the first 51 yards for a TD) and made 2 tackles against San Diego State, Simmons had 4 stops and 2 deflections, Ohalete had 3 tackles with a deflection and Gibson made 2 stops.

--Ohalete and Gibson had 11 tackles apiece at Oregon (Ohalete also recovered a fumble), while Simmons had 6 stops and Richard 5.

--Ohalete made 8 tackles against Oregon State, Richard had 7 stops and 3 pass breakups (with an interception), Gibson also had 7 tackles, Simmons added 6 stops and Rideaux 2.

--Gibson had 7 tackles at Arizona, Ohalete had 5 with 2 deflections and a forced fumble, Simmons had 5 stops and returned a fumble 44 yards for a TD, Rideaux had 3 tackles with a deflection and Richard made 2 stops.

--Simmons had 9 tackles at Notre Dame (1 for a loss) and blocked 2 kicks (a field goal and PAT), Gibson also had 9 stops (1 for a loss) and intercepted a pass, Ohalete added 7 tackles and Richard had 1 stop and forced a fumble.

--Against Stanford, Ohalete had 9 tackles, Gibson had 7 (1 for a loss) with a deflection, Richard had 4 stops, Simmons intercepted 2 passes (leading to a Trojan field goal and touchdown) and recovered a fumble which he forced to go along with his 3 tackles, Arbet had 2 tackles and Rideaux and Morgan had 1 each.

--Gibson tied for the team-lead in tackles at California with 7, Ohalete had 4 stops, 2 deflections and an interception, Simmons had 3 stops (1 for a loss) and an interception in the end zone, Morgan had 2 tackles and Richard, Rideaux and Arbet added 1 each.

--Against Arizona State, Gibson had a game-best 15 tackles (1 for a loss) with a forced fumble, Ohalete had 12 stops (1 for a loss) with 1 fumble recovery, a forced fumble and 2 deflections, Simmons had 2 tackles (with a 7-yard sack), a deflection and a blocked field goal, Rideaux had 5 tackles, Richard had 4 and Arbet 1.

SPECIALISTS--Sophomore Mike MacGillivray (41.1 avg in 1999) is the returning punter after doing a steady job last fall (37.7 avg in 1998) when he set USC season records for most punts (87) and punt yardage (3,284). He is especially effective as a placement punter, as 50 of his 143 career boots have pinned opponents within the 20-yard line. For the past 4 years, USC could count on Adam Abrams to usually deliver on all placekicks, as he drilled 44 field goals (including 4 that proved to be the deciding points in games) and 117 PATs in his career. He has graduated, so now the Trojans rely on sophomore junior college transfer David Newbury (9-of-16 FG, 30-of-32 PAT in 1999). Handling the kickoff chores and serving as the backup to Newbury and MacGillivray is junior David Bell (0-of-1 FG in 1999), Troy's kickoff man 2 of the past 3 years.

--Newbury had an impressive collegiate debut at Hawaii, as he nailed both of his field goals (a 48-yarder for USC's first points and then a 34-yarder at the first half gun) and all 8 of his PATs, while MacGillivray averaged 35.5 yards on his 2 punts (the first one traveled 59 yards to pin the Rainbows within the 20-yard line) and 7 of Bell's 10 kickoffs weren't returned past the 20.

--Newbury hit 1-of-2 field goals (a 26-yarder) and all 3 PATs against San Diego State, 3 of Bell's 5 kickoffs weren't returned past the 20 (including 2 touchbacks) and 1 of MacGillivray's 4 punts kept SDSU within the 20.

--Newbury struggled at Oregon, hitting his first field goal (29 yards), but then missing his next 3 (including 2 in overtime), while MacGillivray averaged 35.5 yards on 6 punts (2 were within the 20) and 3 of Bell's 5 kickoff kept the Ducks within the 20.

--Newbury bounced back somewhat against Oregon State, hitting a 38-yarder on his only field goal attempt and 4-of-5 PATs, while 4 of Bell's 7 kickoffs weren't returned past the 20 and 1 of MacGillivray's 6 punts kept the Beavers within the 20.

--MacGillivray had a huge day at Arizona, averaging a career-high 50.6 yards on 8 punts (with a 66-yarder to equal a personal long and 4 others over 50 yards) and pinning the Wildcats within the 20-yard line 6 times (twice inside the 5) to earn Pac-10 Special Team Player of the Week honors, while Newbury nailed a 40-yard field goal on his only attempt and was 3-of-3 on PATs and 1 of Bell's 5 kickoffs kept UA within the 20.

--Newbury hit a 29-yard field goal and all 3 PATs at Notre Dame, MacGillivray averaged 35.4 yards on his 5 punts and Bell saw 2 of his 5 kickoffs not returned past the 20-yard line.

--Against Stanford, MacGillivray averaged 43.2 yards on 5 punts (2 pinned the Cardinal within the 20-yard line), while Newbury hit a 31-yard field goal (he missed 2 others) plus all 4 PAT kicks and Bell missed his first field goal try of 1999 (a 52-yarder), but 4 of his 6 kickoffs weren't run back past the 20-yard line (2 were touchbacks).

--MacGillivray averaged 42.6 yards punting at California (his 11 punts and 469 yards were both career highs), with a pair of 50-yarders (including a long of 57 yards) and 2 that pinned Cal within the 20, while Newbury hit his only PAT kick and Bell's only kickoff was a touchback.

--MacGillivray averaged 44.1 yards on 9 punts (with a pair of 56-yarders and a pair within the 20-yard line) against Arizona State, while Newbury hit a 29-yard field goal and 1 of Bell's 4 kickoffs was a touchback.

ROSTER ADDITIONS/DELETIONS-Here are some roster updates from the 1999 USC media guide:

--This past June, USC added a scholarship freshman to its roster: Sandy Fletcher, a 6-3, 185-pound safety from Inglewood (Calif.) High (he wears #24), was All-Area, All-Bay League first team and team MVP while playing safety and wide receiver as a 1998 senior. He had 67 tackles and 6 interceptions on defense in 1998, while on offense he scored 12 TDs and averaged 150 all-purpose yards. He also started as a 1997 junior (earning All-Bay League second team) and 1996 sophomore. He also starred in basketball, winning 1999 All-CIF Division II first team, South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team, Bay League Co-MVP, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West honorable mention and team MPV honors as a 1999 senior guard. He averaged 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals as a senior. Inglewood was 30-5. He was a 3-year starter and earned All-Bay League second team honors as a junior. He also sprinted for Inglewood's track team.

-Three walk-ons earned scholarships at the end of fall camp: S John Morgan, CB Antoinne Harris and first-year Trojan CB Kevin Arbet (#30, 5-11, 175, Fr., Stockton, St. Mary's HS).

--Five new walk-ons are also on the roster: #45 Mark Gomez (TB, 5-10, 200, So., San Gabriel, Golden Sierra HS/Mt. San Antonio JC), #49 David Munoz (WR, 5-10, 185, Jr., Rancho Santa Margarita, Santa Margarita HS/SMU/Saddleback JC), #54 Alex Bottom (C-SNP, 6-4, 220, Fr., Newport Beach, Corona del Mar HS), #91 Joe Boskovich (TE, 6-5, 245, Fr., Westlake, Westlake HS), #95 Michael Murray (LB, 6-0, 225, Fr., Los Angeles, St. Monica HS).

--There are four jersey number changes: FB Chad Pierson is now # 34, OT Eric Torres is now #66, QB-WR Matt Dalton is now #16 and LB Ryan Shapiro is now #14. OG-C Norm Katnik, who was wearing #96 when he was moved to TE in fall camp, is now back to #62. Also, OT Matt Welch (#72) switches to #98 when he lines up as a tight end in short yardage situations and S Rick Luce (#28) wears #98 on some special teams.

--There are several position changes: Frank Strong is now a S, Omar Nazel and Anthony Daye are now DEs and Miguel Fletcher is now a TB. Darryl Knight, who was moved to TE early in the season, is now back at LB. Norm Katnik, who was moved to TE in fall camp, is now back at OG-C.

--OL Luke MacKay prefers going by Lucais (pronounced Lucas).

--Two 1999 signees, DT Sagan Atuatasi of Los Alamitos (Calif.) High and WR Craig Mitchell of West Los Angeles (Calif.) City College did not meet USC admission standards and are not with the Trojans in 1999.

--Walk-on S Pierre Zado quit the team.

STAT NOTES

USC is tied for second nationally (with Boise State) in fumble recoveries (15), behind Texas' 17.

USC is 17th nationally in passing offense (291.3, fourth in Pac-10).

USC's defense ranks in the Pac-10's top 4 in all statistical categories: second in turnover margin (+0.7, tied for 19th nationally) and rushing defense (135.0), third in pass efficiency defense (114.2) and fourth in total defense (374.1) and scoring defense (24.9).

USC's defense has posted 32 sacks (3.6 per game) by 14 different players and has scored 6 touchdowns (3 each on fumbles and on interceptions).

USC is outscoring opponents in the first half 156-77, including 80-46 in the second quarter. However, in the fourth quarter and overtime, USC is being outscored 92-47.

USC's 6 losses-4 were on the road--have been by a total of 35 points (5.8 points a game) and none were by more than 10 points: 1 point at Notre Dame, 3 points in triple overtime at Oregon, 4 points to Stanford, 7 points at Arizona and 10 points versus California and Arizona State. USC had second-half leads in the first 4 losses (including 3 fourth-quarter leads). USC twice lost despite having a 21-point lead (Notre Dame and Stanford). Troy twice gave up 22 unanswered points (Oregon State and Notre Dame), twice 21 unanswered points (Arizona and Stanford) and once 19 unanswered points (Arizona State), with the Oregon State, Notre Dame and Arizona barrages all coming in the second half and the Stanford streak in 2:37 of the second and third quarters.

USC has outgained its opponent in 4 of its 6 losses (all but Arizona and Arizona State).

Opponents are converting just 31.5% of their third downs (46-of-146).

USC has been penalized 88 times for 755 yards, an average of 9.8 penalties and 83.9 yards a game.

USC has won the time of possession battle just 3 times (Hawaii and San Diego State), as opponents are holding the ball 31:51 on average.

USC scored on its first possession in 5 games in 1999--including its first 3 games and then its sixth and seventh contests--and on its second possession in the fourth and ninth contests.

Four of the 13 interceptions USC has thrown in 1999 have been returned for touchdowns (another was run back to the 1-yard line, leading to an opponent's TD on the next play).

RANDOM NOTES

When USC hosted Oregon State on Oct. 2, the Trojans played the 1,000th game in their history. Troy became the 37th Division I-A school to hit that milestone. Since starting football in 1888, USC has amassed a 670-281-54 (69.4%) record. The winning percentage and victories puts USC 10th among all Division I-A schools.

This might be one of the fastest teams USC has fielded. TB Sultan McCullough (bests of 10.17 in the 100 meters, 20.61 in the 200 meters) won the 100 at the 1999 Pac-10 meet and twice clocked 10.17 last spring to become the fastest Trojan footballer ever. WR Kareem Kelly (10.28, 20.53) won the 100 and 200 at the 1999 California state meet after capturing the 200 in 1998. CB Darrell Rideaux (10.30, 21.03) won the California state 100 in 1998 (he was second in 1999 and third in 1997) and was fourth in the 200 in 1999. TB Miguel Fletcher (10.47, 20.94) was the runnerup in the California state 100 in 1997 and 1998 and in the 200 in 1998. WR Marcell Allmond (13.54 in the 110-meter high hurdles, 37.40 in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles) won the California state high hurdles in 1998 and 1999 (he was sixth in the 1999 intermediates), and also set a National Junior Olympics record in the decathlon in 1999. Other speedy Trojans with track backgrounds include WR R. Jay Soward (10.34), TB Chad Morton (10.74) and CB Eric Reese (10.75). And speaking of track, there are several Trojans who excel in the field portion of the sport. For instance, OL Lucais MacKay (199-7 discus, 61-0 shot put, 217-10 hammer) was second in the discus at the 1999 California state meet, while DE Kori Dickerson (6-8 high jump) placed third in the high jump at the 1999 USC-UCLA dual meet.

When USC head trainer emeritus Jack Ward missed the game at Arizona because of intestinal flu, it was the first game in his 42-year career that he was absent (dating to 1958). He had worked 474 consecutive USC games. Incidentally, 88-year-old Trojan fan Oliver Pellerin hasn't missed a USC game--home or away--since 1945...that's 611 in a row. His late brother, Giles, who died at the 1998 USC-UCLA game at age 91, had seen 797 consecutive Trojan games.

Four Trojans have fathers who played on national championship USC football squads: LB-DE Sultan Abdul-Malik (father, Ed Powell (now Wali Abdul-Malik) was on 1972 and 1974 teams), WR Rocky Brown (father, Dave, was on the 1972 team), OT Derek Graf (father, Allan, was on 1972 team), and OT Brent McCaffrey (father, Bob McCaffrey, was on 1972 and 1974 teams). Two other Trojans have dads who lettered at Troy in 1970 and 1971: TB Petros Papadakis (father, John) and S John Morgan (father, Mike). And CB Kevin Arbet is the stepson of ex-Trojan (1980-82) Jeff Simmons. Papadakis also has a brother (Taso, 1994 and 1996) who played at USC, as does LB Darryl Knight (Ryan, 1984-87, and Sammy, 1993-96), TB Chad Morton (Johnnie, 1990-93) and DT Todd Keneley (Matt, 1993-96). Two Trojans had cousins who played at USC--WR Kareem Kelly (Rashard Cook, 1995-98) and TE Joe Boskovich (Martin Boskovich, 1993)--and two had uncles who were Trojan footballers: S-LB Troy Polamalu (Kennedy Pola, 1982-85) and OG-C Norm Katnik (John Katnik, 1986-87).

USC has 3 players with first names all pronounced the same but spelled differently--Antuan, Antoine and Antoinne--and 2 of them even have the same last name--TE Antoine Harris and CB Antoinne Harris! CB Antuan Simmons is the third of these homonyms.

Three of USC's 12 opponents in 1999 are coached by former Trojan assistants: San Diego State (Ted Tollner, who also was USC's head coach), Arizona State (Bruce Snyder) and UCLA (Bob Toledo).

Here's a statistical oddity: 3 members of the USC football staff have fathered twins! Offensive line coach Steve Greatwood has 11-year-old twin daughters Tessa and Emmy, director of football administration and facilities Larry Petroff has 10-year-old twin sons Alex and Jason, and defensive line coach Ed Orgeron has 1-year-old twin sons Parker and Cody.

The 1999 season marks the anniversaries of a pair of dramatic USC comeback victories over Notre Dame. It's the 25th anniversary of the 1974 Trojan-Irish game, regarded as one of college football's most incredible comebacks. USC trailed 24-0 late in the first half against a Notre Dame team that sported the nation's top-ranked defense. But then USC scored 55 unanswered points in under 17 minutes to win 55-24 in the Coliseum. Tailback Anthony Davis scored 4 TDs: on a 7-yard Pat Haden pass just before halftime, a 102-yard kickoff return to open the second half and a pair of short third-quarter runs. Haden also threw 3 scoring passes in the second half, a pair to Johnny McKay and another to Shelton Diggs, and Charles Phillips capped the scoring blitz with a 58-yard interception TD. The victory propelled USC, which then beat Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, 18-17, to the 1974 national championship. (Interestingly, that Rose Bowl win was dramatic, too. USC trailed, 17-10, with just minutes left. Then Haden teamed with McKay on a 38-yard TD pass with 2:03 to go, and followed that with a 2-point conversion toss to Diggs for the victory.) This year is also the 35th anniversary of the 1964 USC-Notre Dame game. Rod Sherman caught a 15-yard TD pass from Craig Fertig with 1:33 to play to upset the unbeaten and top-ranked Irish, 20-17. USC was down, 17-0, at halftime.

IN THE NFL--USC is always well-represented in the NFL. There were 26 Trojans on 1999 opening day NFL rosters, including players such as LB Junior Seau, OLs Tony Boselli and Bruce Matthews, DLs Willie McGinest and Darrell Russell, WRs Keyshawn Johnson, Curtis Conway and Johnnie Morton, QBs Rob Johnson and Rodney Peete, and DBs Tim McDonald, Jason Sehorn and Mark Carrier. Six NFL head coaches have USC ties (either as former players or assistants): New York Giants' Jim Fassel, Tennessee's Jeff Fisher, Seattle's Mike Holmgren, San Francisco's Steve Mariucci, Washington's Norv Turner and San Diego's Mike Riley. Six current USC players have relatives with NFL playing backgrounds: C Eric Denmon (cousin, Rod Jones), WR Kareem Kelly (cousin, Rashard Cook), OT Brent McCaffrey (father, Bob McCaffrey, uncle, Mike McCaffrey), TB Chad Morton, (brother, Johnnie Morton, half-brother, Michael Morton), S-LB Troy Polamalu, (cousin, Nicky Sualua), QB Mike Van Raaphorst, (father, Dick Van Raaphorst). Additionally, 4 Trojan assistants (Ken O'Brien, Phil Pettey, Dennis Thurman and Mike Wilson) played in the NFL, while head coach Paul Hackett, Thurman, Wilson and Steve Greatwood were NFL assistants.

ON TV--USC is one of America's most televised teams. The Trojans have appeared on live national, regional or local telecasts 269 times, including all 12 games in 1998. In fact, USC had an amazing streak of 111 consecutive games on some form of live television from 1988 to 1997.

ACADEMICS--TB Chad Morton (3.43, sociology) is a leading candidate for 1999 Academic All-American honors. Morton was named a 1999 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete (one of 9 Division I-A seniors), entitling him to an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship (he will be honored at a Dec. 7 dinner in New York City). He was named to the GTE-Academic All-District VIII first team in 1998 and has made the Pac-10 All-Academic first team for 3 straight years (1996-98). Among the other top scholars on the 1999 Trojan squad are QB Mike Van Raaphorst (3.70 GPA, broadcast journalism/political science major), DT Todd Keneley (3.74, communication), FB Brennan Ochs (3.27, political science), S Frank Carter (3.19, computer engineering/computer sciences) and TE Scott Huber (3.16). Van Raaphorst is a 2-time (1997-98) Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention selection, while Ochs was an honorable mention pick in 1998. In its history, USC football has produced 22 Academic All-American first teamers (tops in the Pac-10 and tied for fifth in the nation), 20 NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship winners, 11 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athletes, 4 NCAA Today's Top Six winners, 1 Rhodes Scholar and 1 Academic All-American Hall of Famer.

In the latest NCAA four-year graduation rates (based on scholarship football players entering school in 1989-92), USC graduated more than three-fifths of its players (61%). That figure is well above the Division I-A average for that period (52%) and within range of the overall USC student body four-year rate of 67%. If the 1999 pre-season USA Today/ESPN football poll had been based on the current NCAA four-year graduation rates, USC would rank fifth. Here's a look at the Top 5 (and Troy's other Top 25 opponents):

 1.     Notre Dame            78%
        Penn State            78%
 3.     Virginia              75%
 4.     Nebraska              63%
 5.     USC                   61%
 8. (T) UCLA                  58%
11.     Arizona               55%
12. (T) Division I-A average  52%
21.     Arizona State         38%

SCOUTING WASHINGTON STATE-Washington State, under 11th-year head coach Mike Price, has struggled in 1999, losing its first 4 games before beating California and Louisiana-Lafayette back-to-back, but then dropping its past 3 outings, including 52-10 at Oregon last Saturday. The Cougar offense is sparked by true freshman RB Deon Burnett (146 tcb, 761 yds, 5.2 avg, 11 TD in 1999), who owns WSU's season and game freshman rushing and TD records and has a quartet of 100-yard rushing outings, senior QB Steve Birnbaum (136-of-237, 57.4%, 1,548 yds, 9 TD, 3 int in 1999), No. 8 on WSU's career passing yardage list (3,460 yards), senior SB Leaford Hackett (42 rec, 11.6 avg, 2 TD in 1999, plus 19.6 KOR avg and 6.6 PR avg) and senior FL Nian Taylor (40 rec, 13.1 avg, 1 TD in 1999), who needs 108 yards to set WSU's career receiving yardage mark (2,452). WSU's defense is spearheaded by senior SLB Steve Gleason (97 tac, 9 for loss in 1999), who is the Pac-10's leading tackler (10.8), sophomore FS Billy Newman (82 tac, 4 for loss, 1 int in 1999), the Pac-10 No. 5 tackler (9.1), junior MLB Curtis Holden (66 tac, 9 for loss, 3 sac, 1 int in 1999) and junior FS Lamont Thompson (45 tac, 3 int in 1999), who is tied for second on the school's career interception list (13).

HACKETT SAYS--"The loss to Arizona State once again was a very difficult one, particularly since we couldn't get it done at the end of the game. We're just not playing with enough confidence at the end of games to get over the hump. Our defense against Arizona State was spectacular, especially the scoring interception by Ennis Davis and the goal line stand.

But it's a team deal. Our defense gave us an opportunity to win, but the offense couldn't capitalize. Many good things happened in the game, but it all comes down to playing together and finding a way to win at the end. That's where we are: we must find a way to win?We now have a 3-game season. Washington State is the only game we need to be concerned about. This season now is all about how we finish. Can we finish strong? Can we overcome the adversity of this 5 game losing streak? Can we finish with 3 wins in a row? Washington State is the key to it. We have to go up to their stadium and we know it can be very difficult to play up there. We're a team coming off some difficult, difficult times. This is an opportunity for us to bounce back and finish on a high note."

INJURY UPDATE--OUT: S DeShaun Hill (back), OG Jason Grain (knee), QB Carson Palmer (collarbone), DE-LB Jason Steen (neck), TB Petros Papadakis (foot), LB Mike Pollard (knee), WR Troy Garner (knee), TE Joe Boskovich (knee). DOUBTFUL: WR Marcell Allmond (shoulder), DT Aaron Williams (neck), DE Matt Childers (shoulder), OT-OG Trevor Roberts (wrist). POSSIBLE: LB-S Troy Polamalu (concussion), LB Darryl Knight (suspended). PROBABLE: OT Brent McCaffrey (ankle).

USC IN NCAA/PAC-10 STAT RANKINGS

NCAA PAC-10 USC NAME CATEGORY AVG RANK* RANK** Kareem Kelly Receiving Yards 94.8 17 3 Windrell Hayes Receptions 6.2 22 3 R. Jay Soward Punt Returns 12.5 23T 3 USC Passing Offense 291.3 17 4 USC Turnover Margin +0.7 19T 2 Kris Richard Interceptions 0.4 -- 5 David Newbury Field Goals 1.0 -- 5 Mike Van Raaphorst Total Offense 198.6 -- 5 Windrell Hayes Receiving Yards 82.9 -- 5 Chad Morton Rushing 88.6 -- 5 Kareem Kelly Receptions 5.4 -- 5 USC Punt Returns 10.0 -- 2 USC Rushing Defense 135.0 -- 2 USC Pass Efficiency Defense 114.2 -- 3 USC Total Defense 374.1 -- 4 USC Scoring Defense 24.9 -- 4 USC Net Punting 36.8 -- 5

*Top 25 only **Top 5 only

RED ZONE PRODUCTION

GAME     USC                                 OPPONENT
HAW     7 of 8 (TD, TD, TD, TD, FG,          0 of 0
                TD, failed 4th, TD) 
SDSU    3 of 4 (TD, failed 4th, FG, TD)      1 of 1 (TD)
ORE     5 of 7 (TD, FG, TD, TD,              6 of 7 (TD, FG, TD, FG, miss FG,
                miss FG, TD, miss FG)              TD, FG)
OSU     2 of 3 (TD, TD, failed 4th)          3 of 3 (TD, TD, TD)
ARIZ    1 of 1 (TD)                          2 of 4 (miss FG, failed 4th, TD, TD)
TOTAL  18 of 23                             12 of 15
       15--TD   3--failed 4th                8--TD   2--miss FG   
        3--FG   2--miss FG                   3--FG   1--failed 4th  
ND      3 of 3 (TD, TD, FG)                  5 of 7 (miss FG, lost fumble, FG,
                TD, TD, FG, TD)
STAN    3 of 7 (TD, TD, lost fumble,         3 of 3 (TD, TD, TD)
                miss FG, FG, miss FG, INT)
CAL     0 of 0                               1 of 3  (miss FG, interception, FB)
ASU     2 of 2  (TD, FG)                     4 of 6  (TD, TD, TD, lost fumble, miss FG, TD)
TOTAL  26 of 35 (74.3%)                     25 of 34 (73.5%)
       20--TD  3--failed 4th                18--TD  5--miss FG 
        6--FG  2--miss FG                    6--FG  1--failed 4th  
        1--interception 1--lost fumble       1--interception 2--lost fumble

AVERAGE STARTING FIELD POSITION

GAME   USC                        OPPONENT
HAW    41-yard line (15 drives)   20-yard line (14 drives)
SDSU   39-yard line (14 drives)   28-yard line (13 drives)
ORE    34-yard line (19 drives)   25-yard line (18 drives)
OSU    26-yard line (13 drives)   30-yard line (15 drives)
ARIZ   27-yard line (13 drives)   27-yard line (14 drives)
ND     24-yard line (13 drives)   40-yard line (14 drives)
STAN   35-yard line (17 drives)   23-yard line (15 drives)
CAL    22-yard line (18 drives)   34-yard line (16 drives)
ASU    24-yard line (15 drives)   36-yard line (16 drives)
TOTAL  30-yard line (137 drives) 29-yard line (135 drives)

MIKE MacGILLIVRAY PUNTS

GAME   PUNTS WITHIN 20 50+ YARDS
HAW      2       1         1
SDSU     4       1         0
ORE      6       2         0
OSU      6       1         0
ARIZ     8       6         5
ND       5       0         0
STAN     5       2         0
CAL     11       3         3
ASU      9       2         2
TOTAL   56      18        11

DAVID BELL KICKOFFS

GAME  KICKOFFS WITHIN 20
HAW      10        7 (including 1 touchback)
SDSU      5        3 (including 2 touchbacks)
ORE       5        3 (including 1 touchback)
OSU       7        4 (including 1 touchback)
ARIZ      5        1 (including 1 touchback)
ND        5        2 (including 1 touchback)
STAN      6        4 (including 2 touchbacks)
CAL       1        1 (including 1 touchback)
TOTAL    44       25 (including 10 touchbacks)
ASU       4        1 (including 1 touchback)
TOTAL    48       26 (including 11 touchbacks)

1999 WASHINGTON STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (2-7)

GAME     OPPONENT            RESULT
Sept.  4 Utah                L 7-27
Sept. 11 at Stanford         L 17-54
Sept. 18 at Idaho            L 17-28
Sept. 25 Arizona             L 24-30
Oct.   2 California          W 31-7
Oct.   9 Louisiana-Lafayette W 44-0
Oct.  23 at Arizona State    L 21-33
Oct.  30 Oregon State        L 13-27
Nov.   6 at Oregon           L 10-52
Nov.  13 USC
Nov.  20 at Washington
Nov.  27 at Hawaii

1999 USC FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (3-6)

DATE      OPPONENT            TIME/RESULT
Sept.  4  at Hawaii           W 62-7
Sept. 18  San Diego State     W 24-21
Sept. 25  at Oregon           L 30-33 (3OT)
Oct.   2  Oregon State        W 37-29
Oct.   9  at Arizona          L 24-31
Oct.  16  at Notre Dame       L 24-25
Oct.  23  Stanford            L 31-35
Oct.  30  at California       L 7-17
Nov.   6  Arizona State       L 16-26
Nov.  13  at Washington State 4 p.m. (ABC)
Nov.  20  UCLA                TBA
Nov.  26  Louisiana Tech      3:30 p.m. (FSN)

TICKETS--Tickets for the USC-Washington State game, priced at $18, are available at the USC Ticket Office (213-740-GO SC).

RADIO-TV--Live regional TV: 3:30 p.m. (PDT), FOX Sports Net Syndicate (KCAL-TV Channel 9 in Los Angeles), Barry Tompkins, David Norrie, Larry Burnett.

Live local radio: 1:30 p.m. (PDT), XTRA-AM (690), Lee Hamilton, Paul McDonald, Tim Ryan, John Fricke (includes 1-hour USC pre-and post-game shows sandwiched by 1-hour college football pre-and post-game shows). Five other stations are included on the USC radio network: KCTD-AM 1540 in Los Angeles, KGEO-AM 1230 in Bakersfield, KSHP-AM 1400 in Las Vegas, Nev., KDEF-AM 1150 in Albuquerque, N.M. and KAXX-AM 1020 in Anchorage, Ak. Fans also can hear the live XTRA broadcast on the Internet as a "cybercast" (type http://www.usctrojans.com) or can pay to listen to it live on the phone by dialing 1-800-846-4675 ext. 5933.

USC Sports Magazine Show: 5:30 p.m. (PDT), Thursday (Oct. 28), FOX Sports West, Tom Kelly. Also, 6:30 p.m. (PDT), Thursday (Oct. 28), midnight and 5 p.m. (PDT), Friday (Oct. 29), FOX Sports Net West 2. USC Trojan Talk: 7 p.m. (PDT), Sundays during football season, KDWN-AM (720), Harvey Hyde, Chuck Hayes. Fans also can hear the live KDWN broadcast on the Internet as a cybercast" (type http://www.usctrojans.com).

PAC-10 ONLINE--Pac-10 information, press releases, statistics and links to all league schools are available online at http://www.pac-10.org.

PAC-10 SATELLITE FEED--The Pac-10 provides a weekly satellite feed featuring interviews with coaches and selected players regarding upcoming games along with highlight footage. The half hour feed airs every Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. (PDT) through Nov. 24. Coordinates are GE2, Transponder 6 (C-Band). Trouble numbers: 310-543-1835 or 310-286 3749 or pager 888-423-0095 or 925-932-4411.

PAC-10 STANDINGS

      PAC-10  OVERALL
       W L      W L
WASH   5 1      6 3
STAN   5 1      5 3
ORE    4 2      6 3
ASU    4 2      5 4
OSU    3 3      6 3
ARIZ   3 3      6 4
CAL    3 3      4 5
USC    1 5      3 6
WSU    1 5      2 7
UCLA   1 5      3 6

AP POLL

 1. Florida State
 2. Virginia Tech
 3. Tennessee
 4. Florida
 5. Kansas State
 6. Penn State
 7. Nebraska
 8. Mississippi State
 9. Wisconsin
10. Texas
11. Alabama
12. Marshall
13. Georgia Tech
14. Georgia
15. BYU
16. Michigan
17. Michigan State
18. Mississippi
19. Miami (Fla.)
20. Minnesota
21. Southern Miss
22. Purdue
23. Washington
24. East Carolina
25. Ohio State

USA TODAY/ESPN POLL

 1. Florida State
 2. Virginia Tech
 3. Tennessee
 4. Florida
 5. Kansas State
 6. Nebraska
 7. Mississippi State
 8. Penn State
 9. Wisconsin
10. Texas
11. Marshall
12. BYU
13. Alabama
14. Georgia Tech
15. Michigan
16. Georgia
17. Michigan State
18. Mississippi
19. Miami (Fla.)
20. Southern Miss
21. Minnesota
22. Washington
23. Texas A&M
24. East Carolina
25. Boston College

USC VS. WASHINGTON STATE (49-6-4)

1921    W     28-7   N1 
1922    W     41-3   N2 
1925    L    12-17    H 
1926    W     16-7    H 
1927    W     27-0    H 
1928    W    27-13    H 
1929    W     27-7    H 
1930    L      6-7    A 
1931    W     38-6    H 
1932    W     20-0    H 
1933    W     33-0    H 
1934    L     0-19    H 
1935    W    20-10    H 
1936    T      0-0    H 
1937    T      0-0    A 
1938    W     19-6    H 
1939    W     27-0    H 
1940    T    14-14    H 
1941    W      7-6    H 
1942    W    26-12    H 
1946    W     13-7    H 
1947    W     21-0    H 
1949    W     35-7    H 
1950    T    20-20    A 
1951    W    31-21    H 
1952    W     35-7    H 
1953    W    29-13    A 
1954    W     39-0    H 
1955    W    50-12    H 
1956    W    28-12    A 
1957    L    12-13    H 
1958    W     14-6   N3
1967    W     49-0    H 
1969    W     28-7    H 
1970    W    70-33   N3
1971    W    30-20    H 
1972    W     44-3   N4
1973    W    46-35    H 
1974    W     54-7   N3
1975    W    28-10    H 
1976    W    23-14   N5
1977    W     41-7    H 
1979    W    50-21    H 
1981    W    41-17    H 
1983    W    38-17    H 
1984    W    29-27    A 
1985    W    31-13    H 
1986    L    14-34    A 
1987    W     42-7    H 
1989    W    18-17    A 
1990    W    30-17    H 
1991    W    34-27    A 
1992    W    31-21    H 
1993    W     34-3    H 
1994    W    23-10    A 
1995    W    26-14    H 
1996    W    29-24    A 
1997    L    21-28    H 
1998    W    42-14    A

N1-Tournament Park, Pasadena, California
N2-Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
N3-Spokane Memorial (Joe Albi) Stadium, Spokane, Washington
N4-Husky Stadium, Seattle, Washington
N5-Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

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