Trojans Launch Big Push : Face 5 Showdowns in Month, Starting With Cougars Today

USC clinched a Rose Bowl bid last year by beating Washington, 16-7, on the second Saturday in November.

It’s different this year. The Trojans must win five games this month, among them one Nov. 30 in Tokyo against Oregon, just to stay in contention for the Pacific 10 championship.

That busy, demanding November schedule begins with Washington State today at the Coliseum.

Five conference teams--USC, UCLA, Washington, Arizona and Arizona State--all have one conference loss. One more league loss for any of the contenders and it would be virtually eliminated. So which team, if any, has the best chance of emerging as the Rose Bowl representative?

Most conference coaches favor UCLA, simply because the Bruins, 6-1-1 overall, are playing better than the other contenders.

Jim Walden, whose Cougars came close to upsetting UCLA before losing, 31-30, rated the Bruins and Ohio State as the strongest teams WSU has encountered this season.

Asked to assess the conference race before the big November push, USC Coach Ted Tollner said:

“UCLA is playing the best, by far. They haven’t struggled since the second half of the Washington game. We’re coming off a loss, along with Washington and Arizona. Three of the five contenders have to examine themselves.”

Certainly, Tollner has done some examining and, perhaps, soul searching since USC’s embarrassing 37-3 loss to Notre Dame last Saturday at South Bend, Ind.

Alumni at suburban Trojan Clubs are grumbling about USC’s inept showing. “When you’re not playing as well as you should, you’ll be criticized,” Tollner said. “We can’t deal with that. We can only deal with working to get better and giving every ounce of effort to becoming the best team we can be.

“That’s not a hide-your-head-in-the-sand type of approach. But it’s the only thing you can do. Grumbling is always going to be there, but it’s more so if you’re struggling like we are.”

It hasn’t been easy for Tollner to identify USC’s problems, because the team broke down in every phase--offense, defense and special teams--against Notre Dame.

One thing is evident. USC, 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the Pac-10, must stay close to an opponent, because it hasn’t been a big-play, catch-up team.

Tollner’s offensive philosophy, in line with USC tradition, is to pound teams with the running game while mixing in the pass. Passing teams can make up two or three touchdowns in a hurry, but USC doesn’t play that way.

Even so, the Trojans were renowned as a catch-up team in past seasons and would seem to have enough offensive talent now not to throw in the towel when they fall behind.

Washington State, though, has all the apparent offensive ingredients that USC has been lacking. The Cougars, 2-6 and 2-4, lead the Pac-10 in total offense, averaging 459.3 yards a game.

Tollner said that quarterback Mark Rypien is more efficient now than he was last year, when he was an all-league selection. Rypien has completed 59.7% of his passes for 1,942 yards and 10 touchdowns while throwing 8 interceptions.

Running back Rueben Mayes complements Rypien. He is WSU’s all-time leading ground gainer with 3,018 yards and has gained 735 yards this season. He’ll have another 1,000-yard season at his present pace.

Walden said, however, that the P of his RPM backfield will not only miss today’s game but also is lost for the season. Fullback Kerry Porter has a severe shoulder injury and it remains to be seen how much his absence will affect the Cougars’ prolific offense.

Washington State’s record is misleading because it has been competitive in almost every game and has outgained seven of its eight opponents.

“But we just seem to make the big mistake at a bad time,” Walden said.

The Cougars, averaging 26.9 points a game, are obliged to score a lot to offset a leaky defense. Moreover, the young WSU defense--only 4 of the first 22 are seniors--has been hampered by injuries.

WSU has lost three of its five best safeties and has suffered nagging injuries at other positions.

The Cougars, however, could prematurely disrupt USC’s plans to stay in the Rose Bowl race by winning today. It wouldn’t be a major upset, considering that WSU rallied from a 20-0 third-quarter deficit against USC last year at Pullman, Wash., and barely lost, 29-27, when USC cornerback Louis Brock batted away a two-point conversion pass with 1:27 left to avert a tie.

Walden has beaten every team in the league except USC since he became Washington State’s coach in 1978. This may be his best shot, especially if the Trojans are still brooding about their lackluster performance against Notre Dame.

Trojan Notes Kickoff for today’s game is 1:30 p.m. . . . It will not be known until early December whether the conference will assess any penalties against USC for illegally recruiting Dan Quinn, a former linebacker at San Dieguito High in Encinitas, who is now at Notre Dame. The presidents and chancellors of the member schools will make the final decision on any sanctions after soliciting recommendations from the Pac-10 council. . . . Washington State hasn’t beaten USC since 1957, a year in which the Trojans had a 1-9 record, worst in the school’s history. . . . Injury report: Outside linebacker Greg Coauette, nose guard Tony Colorito and tailback Steve Webster will miss today’s game with ankle injuries. Inside linebacker Rex Moore is still sidelined with a severe hamstring injury. Tight end Paul Green is doubtful with a sprained ankle, and wide receiver Gene Arrington is questionable with a bruised shoulder. . . . WSU’s Jim Walden has been tinkering with the wishbone offense this season, but he said he may not use it much today because he has a depth problem with his running backs. Junior Tautalatasi is expected to replace injured Kerry Porter at fullback. . . . USC has scored only 16 points in its three losses--to Baylor, 20-13; Arizona State, 24-0, and Notre Dame, 37-3.