Spartans End USC’s Mastery of Big Ten, 27-13 : Trojan Errors Help to Spoil Smith’s Debut

Larry Smith made an ignominious debut Monday night as the USC football coach.

Smith’s Trojans labored mostly in vain in a season-opening 27-13 loss to Michigan State that was played out before a crowd of 77,922 and a national television audience.

The loss snapped the Trojans’ 17-game winning streak against Big Ten teams. USC hadn’t lost to a Big Ten team since the 1974 Rose Bowl game when it fell to Ohio State, 42-21.

The Trojan offense, playing without No. 1 tailback Steven Webster, showed that it is not ready for prime time, squandering numerous scoring opportunities while producing less than two yards per running play.

And the defense, which lost inside linebacker Rex Moore with a broken leg in the third quarter, allowed Michigan State to score on its first two possessions of the first half and two of its first three possessions of the second, forcing the offense to try to make up a deficit all night.

It clearly wasn’t up to the task as Webster, who is being counted on to inject much-needed speed into the running game, watched from the sideline.

Webster, who damaged ligaments in his right ankle two months ago in a pick-up basketball game, was expected to play about a quarter, but Smith said Webster just wasn’t physically ready.

And the way USC played fast and loose with the ball, Webster might not have made much of a difference.

Quarterback Rodney Peete completed 20 of 32 passes for 229 yards, but he fumbled three times, losing two, and was intercepted twice.

More importantly, he couldn’t get the Trojans into the end zone.

USC didn’t score a touchdown until less than five minutes remained in the game and Peete had been benched. His replacement, Kevin McLean, threw a 26-yard scoring pass to Randy Tanner with 4:13 left.

All that did was prevent this from equaling the most-lopsided opening-game loss for the Trojans in this century.

John Robinson lost his debut as the Trojan coach, 46-25, to Missouri in 1976. In fact, USC’s last five coaches--Don Clark, John McKay, Robinson, Ted Tollner and Smith-- all lost their opening game as the Trojan coach.

Interestingly, Robinson’s first team came back to win its next 11 games, capping an 11-1 season with a victory over Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

But Smith said if his team continues to make as many mistakes as it did against Michigan State, “we’ll be 0-11.”

Smith was testy after the game, snapping at USC sports information director Tim Tessalone after Tessalone asked him to speak up a little in the post-game press conference.

“I’m sorry, I don’t have much of a voice,” he barked.

Later, he apologized, saying: “I’m sorry. I’m a little uptight, a little angry.”

He seemed to have good reason.

The Trojan running game was so ineffective that Peete and McLean were forced to attempt a school-record 47 passes, completing 29, another school record.

Ryan Knight, whose modest totals led USC in rushing the last two seasons but whose lack of speed has prevented him from reaching the potential he showed during a record-breaking high school career, started at tailback and gained 53 yards in 19 carries.

“We have to find a tailback who can gain some yards,” Smith said.

Smith, though, said Knight wasn’t solely to blame. “I don’t think we had many gaping holes out there,” he said.

Meanwhile, Michigan State’s highly regarded tailback, Lorenzo White, enjoyed the kind of game that USC tailbacks used to enjoy.

The Heisman Trophy aspirant, who rushed for 1,908 yards as a sophomore two years ago before injuries last season limited him to 633, carried 22 times for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Bobby McAllister, replacing four-year starter Dave Yarema at quarterback this season, had a big game, too, running for 63 yards and a touchdown and completing 10 of 15 passes for 103 yards.

Michigan State took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards in eight plays to a touchdown, putting USC in a hole less than four minutes into the game.

White began his senior campaign by carrying 5 times on the drive for 48 yards, including a 31-yard run on a third-and-four play. White scored on a nine-yard run, sweeping around left end.

Knight went nowhere on USC’s first play, and Peete’s first pass sailed over the head of Ken Henry and glanced off Michigan State cornerback Lenior Payton. It was an indication of things to come.

USC was forced to punt, but got the ball back when Todd Krumm fumbled Jeff Sperle’s kick and Tracy Butts recovered for the Trojans at the Michigan State 21-yard line.

Three Knight runs put the Trojans at the seven, but Peete again was almost intercepted by Payton on second down. A run by Peete gained only one yard, and freshman kicker Quin Rodriguez was brought on to kick a 23-yard field goal, cutting the Spartan lead to 7-3.

Michigan State then drove down the field again after Blake Ezor returned Eric Affholter’s kickoff 38 yards to the Spartan 45.

A 43-yard field goal by John Langeloh would have made it 10-3, but USC’s Cleveland Colter dove into Langeloh on the kick. The roughing-the-kicker penalty gave the Spartans a chance for more.

They reached USC’s seven, but McAllister stepped out of bounds for no gain on a busted play in which Michigan State was cited for illegal procedure, stalling the drive. Langeloh came on again, this time kicking a 27-yard field goal that stood.

The Trojans then mounted an impressive drive, Peete taking the Trojans 60 yards to the Spartan five, where they faltered again. On second-and-goal, Peete’s pass went through the hands Tanner’s in the corner of the end zone, and on third-and-goal, Peete fumbled the snap from center.

Rodriguez’s 25-yard field goal made it 10-6.

Peete fumbled again on the second play of the second half. Left guard Brent Parkinson, pulling toward the right on a counter play, ran into the junior quarterback, knocking the ball out of his hands. John Budde, whose brother, Brad, played for USC, recovered for Michigan State at the USC 25.

It took the Spartans only 3 plays to score, White carrying twice for 16 yards before McAllister, rolling to his left on an option play, scored on a 9-yard run. Langeloh’s kick made it 17-6.

McAllister fumbled on the Spartans’ next possession, linebacker Marcus Cotton recovering for USC to give the Trojans the ball at the Spartan 32.

A six-yard pass play from Peete to tight end Scott Galbraith, and a 13-yard penalty against Michigan State for illegal helmet contact, advanced the ball to the 13, but reserve tailback Marcus Hopkins lost a fumble on the next play.

Michigan State drove 84 yards in 7 plays--including a 44-yard pass play from McAllister to Andre Rison--to its third touchdown, a 1-yard run by White that made it 24-6.

USC drove 60 yards to the Spartan 20 on its next possession before Peete, hit by Budde and Percy Snow as he released a pass, was intercepted by Kurt Larson.

The Trojans reached the Spartan 11 early in the fourth quarter, but Scott Lockwood’s pass on a halfback option play was intercepted in the end zone by Michigan State’s Brian Jones.

And Peete was intercepted once more before Smith lifted him.

“Mistakes are what killed us,” Smith said. “I can’t fault our defense. As much as we had them out there, it could have been 50-6.”