Injured Rivers, Williams Expect to Play

USC will begin to install its game plan for its Rose Bowl showdown with Texas when the top-ranked Trojans resume practice Tuesday.

Sophomore linebackers Keith Rivers and Thomas Williams intend to be a part of it.

Both played key roles for USC until injuries forced them to the sidelines.

Rivers was plagued by a hamstring problem nearly the entire second half of the schedule, and Williams is coming back from late-season arthroscopic knee surgery.

“I’m definitely playing,” Rivers said after practicing lightly last week. “I want to ease myself back in. I don’t want to go out there and be out of shape and then go full stride.”

Rivers took over the weak-side spot vacated by All-American Matt Grootegoed and started the first eight games. His 12-tackle performance against Notre Dame was regarded by Coach Pete Carroll as a coming-out of sorts.

But Rivers injured his right hamstring the next week against Washington, did not play against Stanford and missed the regular-season finale against UCLA.

Williams started six games at the strong-side spot and two games at middle linebacker before having surgery after the Nov. 12 California game.

He was in uniform and performed individual drills last week, “to shake the cobwebs off,” he said.

Asked if he would be ready for Texas, Williams said, “Absolutely.”

*

USC will practice Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before breaking for three days for Christmas.... With 28 bowl-game victories, USC ranks behind only Alabama, which has 29. USC is 21-8 in the Rose Bowl.