Emanuel Will Share Time With Crutcher

USC Coach Ted Tollner said Tuesday that freshman tailback Aaron Emanuel will share playing time with senior Fred Crutcher in the first half of Saturday’s game against Oregon State at the Coliseum.

“During practice today and Wednesday, we’ll decide the proportion of playing time and the order,” Tollner said. “That’s the only thing we know for sure now. As the game unfolds, it will determine the status of the others.”

USC opened the season against Illinois Sept. 7 with Crutcher as the starting tailback. He alternated with Ryan Knight, and Steve Webster came on in a cameo role. The Trojans won, 20-10.

It was Crutcher and Knight as an entry in a 20-13 loss to Baylor Sept. 21. Webster was the first replacement for Crutcher Saturday night in Tempe, Ariz., where USC lost to Arizona State, 24-0.

Knight didn’t play against Arizona State, and Emanuel became the third tailback in the rotation. Now Tollner is juggling the rotation again. Zeph Lee is the only tailback who hasn’t played.

“Nothing is in cement here,” said Tollner, alluding to the playing time allotted his tailbacks.

Tollner expected Emanuel to make some mistakes. He ran the wrong way on a play that wound up with quarterback Sean Salisbury keeping the ball and fumbling. Emanuel also fumbled himself and was partly responsible for a botched handoff with reserve quarterback Rodney Peete.

But Tollner was impressed by Emanuel’s raw ability. He gained 76 yards in 14 carries.

Knight, a sophomore, might have lost his No. 2 tailback status by failing to score from the Illinois seven-yard line in three rushing attempts. However, Tollner said that the blocking broke down on at least one run.

Tollner said he has no immediate plans to move Knight to fullback to complement Kennedy Pola and Todd Steele. Pola doesn’t practice often during the week because of chronic knee problems.

As for USC’s 1-2 start, Tollner said:

“We’re obviously extremely disappointed in the way we’re playing. But we believe we’re a better football team than the level we’re playing at and now we have to prove it.”

USC has committed 10 turnovers in three games, eight of them fumbles. Five of those turnovers were in scoring territory, the opponents’ 20-yard line or closer.

Tollner said the turnovers are not limited to one or two individuals but have been spread around.

Trojan Notes Oregon State quarterback Erik Wilhelm, a redshirt freshman, suffered a season-ending knee injury in a 23-6 loss to Grambling on Saturday night. Rich Gonzales, a freshman from Diamond Bar High, has replaced Wilhelm. The Beavers have a serious depth problem at quarterback. Steve Steenwyk, a four-game starter in 1984, is academically ineligible, and redshirt freshman Shaun Shahan quit the team. Gonzales is the first OSU freshman quarterback to start against USC since 1976, when the Trojans won, 56-0.