Where have you gone Tailback U?

USC minus-14 yards rushing in 21-10 loss

By Greg Keraghosian
Sports Editor

Despite newfound hopes to the contrary, it may have been solidified once and for all on Saturday at the Coliseum that USC's reputation as Tailback U. is a thing of the past.
Just a week after USC Coach John Robinson declared the running game back and the passing era over, it was the ineptitude of the ground attack that stood out against Washington, particularly in the second half.
In fact, nothing about the Trojans' offense was close to adequate in their 21-10 loss before a homecoming crowd of 60,039, whose minority contingent of Husky fans taunted USC before the game's end.
Meanwhile, Washington tailback Corey Dillon did what the Trojans wished they could do, running a school-record 37 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns.
Last week, USC rushed 26 times in the second half to beat Washington State, and the talk this week was of a rejuvenated running attack.
In an almost comedic contrast to their supposed reborn running emphasis, the Trojans (5-4 overall, 3-3 in the Pacific 10 Conference) managed to break a 55-year-old school record for rushing futility with minus-14 yards. In the second half, the team achieved minus-48 rushing yards on only six running plays.
Who was responsible? Delon Washington, who rushed for 99 yards at Washington State, gained 19 yards on 12 carries. Shawn Walters complemented him with 11 yards on five carries.
"The defense gave us a chance to win and played an outstanding game, but our offense just got overwhelmed," Robinson said. "I really don't know what to say about what we were unable to do in the second half. We just did not function."
And while the Huskies (6-2, 5-1) continued their chase of first-place Arizona State and the Rose Bowl, the Trojans find themselves in a difficult position even to reach a bowl game.
With the Rose, Cotton and Holiday bowls apparently out of sight, USC must win two of its next three games to have a shot anywhere else. That means beating Stanford next week and either defeating UCLA--a feat the team hasn't achieved in five years--or Notre Dame, which hasn't lost to USC in the last 13 years.
"(We are playing for) our pride, which is the only thing we have," USC left tackle Rome Douglas said. "I still think we're going to a bowl. We still have UCLA and Notre Dame and if we beat those two teams, everything we've done in the past will be wiped (away)."
But even a couple of USC players mentioned next season when posed with the question.
"We're a young team. We have a lot to establish still," running back Rodney Sermons said. "We're going to come back next year with the guys we have right now and turn things around.
"Right now we're gearing ourselves for next season."
Through the first half, USC maintained some glimmer of offensive hope, as it held a 10-3 lead. The Trojans scored their points on two Washington turnovers--the first being a Sammy Knight interception of quarterback Brock Huard, the second being a fumble caused by Brian Kelly.
USC actually had outgained Washington at halftime, 130-119.
"I think our defense was above and beyond the call of duty," Robinson said. "They did everything we asked of them."
But any hope for USC was torn asunder in the second half. The team's second-half possessions moved backward three times and nowhere once.
The Trojans' explanation for their offensive problems was their inability to stop Washington's constant blitzes. The Huskies' linebackers made a habit of beating USC around the ends--particularly Jerry Jensen, who had three sacks. The Huskies even sacked USC quarterback Brad Otton for a safety in the fourth quarter, but a personal foul nullified it.
"The times we tried to run they were blitzing in the areas we wanted to run, and we didn't pick up their blitzes," Douglas said. "The whole game revolved around blitzes... Our plan was to let the run set up the pass, and we never let that happen."
Otton was so shaken up by the pounding he took that officials had to make him leave the field twice. On both occasions, the team substituted Matt Koffler, who was sacked once.
"We were hitting Otton," Washington linebacker Jason Chorak said. "You could see it on his face that he didn't really want to be out there... I don't think (Koffler) wanted to come in."
When Otton could get a pass off, there was seldom anyone capable of catching it. LaVale Woods, Billy Miller and R. Jay Soward each dropped passes, and starting wideout Chris Miller didn't catch a ball. Once again, Sermons was the team's leading receiver, with five catches and a touchdown.
The Huskies held an advantage of over eight minutes in second-half time of possession and used much of that time pounding away with Dillon, who was kept from making the big play but not stopped.
Washington drove three times for touchdowns in the half--one on a 17-yard catch by Jerome Pathon, and the other two coming off goal-line runs by Dillon.