Trojans Stifle Sooners, 23-7, Before 86,124

Tim Ryan, USC’s defensive tackle, met Oklahoma quarterback Jamelle Holieway last summer during a casual pickup basketball game.

Introduced to Ryan by his close friend, USC fullback Leroy Holt, Holieway said to Ryan: “Your game is suspect.”

It was reportedly a good-natured, negative remark and, as it turned out, one that didn’t have much validity as USC’s stifling defense cracked Oklahoma’s wishbone offense convincingly Saturday at the Coliseum.

The No. 5-ranked Trojans won, 23-7, shutting down the No. 3 Sooners before a crowd of 86,124 in a game that was televised to most of the country.

Frustrated by bad field position most of the first half, the Sooners didn’t seriously threaten the Trojans.

USC led at halftime, 20-0, and its defense and a ball-control offense held off Oklahoma in the second half.

USC’s victory, coupled with UCLA’s 41-28 trouncing of Nebraska Sept. 10, means the local schools can claim the co-championship of the Big Two of the Big Eight Conference.

The Sooners had previously lost only 3 games in 3 years--all to Miami--and Oklahoma Coach Barrry Switzer still is looking for his first win over USC in four meetings--three losses and a tie since 1973.

So USC is 3-0, while Oklahoma is 2-1, and the Trojans most likely will move up in the national rankings with their prestigious victory over the Sooners.

Holieway, who grew up in Los Angeles and played football at Banning High School with Holt, couldn’t get outside with any consistency on the Trojan defense, nor could the halfbacks who took his pitchouts.

Holieway fumbled twice inside his own 20-yard line, setting up a USC touchdown and field goal. He also had a pass intercepted that led to another 3 points for the Trojans.

Holieway’s counterpart, Rodney Peete, performed competently. He has had better days passing, but he still managed to complete 16 of 34 for 198 yards while throwing 1 interception.

“The Trojans can do it all,” said Holieway, who had predicted that Oklahoma would win, 28-14. “They can run when they have to and they can pass when they have to and that’s the key to the game--and that is what’s wrong with our game.”

A wishbone, run-oriented team such as Oklahoma is difficult to control when it has a lead, but the offense is not geared to catch up by passing.

Holieway did burn USC on a perfectly executed play-action pass, faking to a fullback before throwing, to set up Oklahoma’s only touchdown early in the third quarter.

Thereafter, though, Holieway and his replacement in the fourth quarter, Charles Thompson, were ineffective as passers.

If there was any doubt as to the outcome, it was settled with 4 1/2 minutes remaining when USC cornerback Chris Hale intercepted Thompson’s pass and returned it 44 yards to set up Quin Rodriguez’s 25-yard field goal.

USC’s defense controlled the game, and Ryan said that he could tell by looking at Holieway, who led the Sooners to a national championship in 1985, that he was frustrated, as were his teammates.

Oklahoma had only 222 yards in total offense, half of its normal output. Moreover, the Sooners gained only 89 yards on the ground, where they make their living.

USC had 366 yards in total offense, including 199 yards rushing.

That was accomplished even though tailback Aaron Emanuel did not play in the second half. He sprained his right ankle just before halftime and is listed as doubtful for USC’s game with Arizona next Saturday night in Tucson.

Emanuel scored 2 touchdowns in the first half. His 20-yard burst set up his 5-yard scoring run in the first quarter, and he ran 6 yards for a touchdown following Holieway’s fumble in the second quarter.

“I thought the key to the game was our great defense in the first half,” USC Coach Larry Smith said. “They never had a chance to get any offensive rhythm, or sync. We made some big plays on defense and, for the most part, turned them into points.

“We wanted to get into a field-position game with them. We wanted to make them go a long way to score.”

The average starting point for the Oklahoma offense in the first half was its own 14-yard line. Switzer said it was disastrous field position.

Then, in the third quarter, USC protected a 20-7 lead with time-consuming drives that didn’t produce a touchdown but kept the ball away from Oklkahoma.

Split end Erik Affholter sustained most of the advances, digging out Peete’s low passes, or holding onto the ball when jarred severely by Oklahoma defenders.

Affholter caught 8 passes for 94 yards as USC’s possession receiver, while flanker John Jackson held 3 for 46 yards.

“The differences in the game were Rodney Peete and USC’s defense,” said Switzer, whose Sooners where shut out, 12-0, by USC in their last meeting in Norman, Okla. in 1982. “It was tough trying to be a drop-back passing team in the second half. Our quarterbacks aren’t tall enough and we had a lot of balls tipped.”

Peete wore a T-shirt with lettering “Make it Happen” in an interview room. He said the game was fun, especially when USC beats a great team such as Oklahoma.

USC had only 1 touchdown drive of any appreciable length. It occurred in the first quarter, a 53-yard advance leading to Emanuel’s short scoring run.

Peete made a major contribution on third down and 20 from the Oklahoma 42-yard line. It was a passing down, but Peete saw an opening in the middle and sprinted 22 yards to the Sooners’ 20-yard line.

“I thought we could get some draw plays on them after looking at the film of their game with North Carolina,” Peete said. “They were in a man-to-man defense and, in that situation, everyone is accounted for except the quarterback. I took off for the middle when I saw no one was there.”

Said Smith: “Rodney made some excellent scrambles and took the yardage they gave him. I think that unsettled their defense a little bit. Rodney had an excellent game.”

USC improved its lead to 10-0 in the second quarter on Rodriguez’s 33-yard field goal after linebacker Scott Ross tipped a Holieway pass that was intercepted by another linebacker, Michael Williams.

There were more problems ahead for Holieway. Linebacker Junior Seau smashed into him, forcing a fumble that nose guard Don Gibson recovered at the Oklahoma 6-yard line. Emanuel scored on first down.

The nightmare continued for Holieway in the second quarter when USC linebacker Craig Hartsuyker tackled him. The ball popped loose and Ross recovered at the Oklahoma 11-yard line.

The Trojans couldn’t make a first down, so Rodriguez kicked a 23-yard field goal, increasing USC’s surprising lead to 20-0.

Oklahoma hadn’t advanced beyond midfield in the first half, but it had a rapid transit offense at the outset of the third quarter.

Holieway completed a 26-yard pass to split end Carl Cabbiness to the 50-yard line. Then he fooled the Trojan defense with a fake to a running back, putting the ball behind his hip, counting slowly and then throwing a pass to a wide open Eric Bross. Hale, who was beaten on the play, tackled the split end at the USC 2-yard line.

“Everyone stopped on the play, even the receiver, then he took off,” Hale said.

Fullback Leon Perry then scored Oklahoma’s only touchdown on first down.

The Trojans, however, maintained ball control without scoring for most of the second half, even botching a field goal try. Holder Chris Sperle couldn’t handle a high center snap early in the fourth quarter, fumbling to Oklahoma.

But the Sooners weren’t going any where, either. Hale intercepted a Thompson pass at the USC 13-yard line, when it would have been more advisable to knock it down considering that it was a fourth-down play from the the USC 46-yard line.

Hale’s second interception had more impact, his 44-yard sprint to the outside setting up Rodriguez’s field goal.

Trojan Notes

USC defensive tackle Tim Ryan said he worked in concert on the strong side with linebacker Scott Ross in schemes to stop Oklahoma’s wishbone offense. “Our responsibility was the quarterback and the dive back according to the way they blocked,” Ryan said in what was called an exchange defense. “They didn’t use the dive much because we were stuffing it. In their games we saw on film this year with North Caroliina and Arizona, those teams had a reading defense. We attacked them like Miami did last year.” . . . USC quarterback Rodney Peete said that the Sooners seemed confused on defense as the Trojans changed formations. “They were jumping around a lot and yelling at each other,” he said. . . . In addition to Aaron Emanuel, tight end Paul Green and tailback Scott Lockwood also suffered sprained ankles. . . . Peete collected another school record with 238 yards in total offense. He now has 6,462 yards in his career, surpassing tailback Charles White (6,240 in 1976-79). . . . The attendance of 86,124 was the largest for a non-UCLA game at the Coliseum since Notre Dame played here in 1966.