Oregon Is a Sorry State in Southland : Trojans Repay Ducks for Upset Last Season in Eugene, 42-14

Last year, Oregon shocked USC in Eugene by leading, 21-0, at halftime and eventually winning, 34-27.

The Trojans, figuring that turnabout is fair play, were ahead of the Ducks, 21-0, at halftime Saturday at the Coliseum and went on to win rather easily, 42-14, before a Homecoming crowd of 63,452--largest ever to see a USC-Oregon game.

USC didn’t put together a long, sustained scoring drive until the fourth quarter, well after the outcome was obvious.

The Trojans didn’t need to go the long route to score as the Ducks, playing without star quarterback Bill Musgrave, obliged with 4 turnovers that led to 3 USC touchdowns.

So third-ranked USC remained unbeaten with a 5-0 record and moved into first place in the Pacific 10 Conference standings at 3-0. Oregon, previously unbeaten, dropped to 4-1 and 2-1.

It’s USC’s best start since 1980, when it also had a 5-0 record.

Oregon was obviously hampered without Musgrave, who completed 22 of 32 passes for 287 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Ducks’ upset win in 1987. He has a torn ligament in his right ankle.

Without Musgrave, Oregon Coach Rich Brooks alternated quarterbacks Pete Nelson, a junior, and Bob Brothers, a freshman, with negligible results.

By halftime, USC had 302 total yards to Oregon’s 73, and the Trojans wound up with 564 yards to the Ducks’ 112--and a commanding edge in first downs, 27-8.

“I think the big key for us in the first half was that our defense was dominant and our offense turned some opportunities into points,” USC Coach Larry Smith said. “The offense sputtered some, but we took advantage of interceptions and fumbles.

“In the second half, we moved the ball but couldn’t get into the end zone (until the fourth quarter), and the kicking game cost us 2 touchdowns.”

Oregon didn’t score until USC led, 30-0, late in the third quarter. The touchdowns came on a 99-yard kickoff return by cornerback Chris Oldham and a 1-yard run by tailback Derek Loville, who benefited from a 36-yard punt return by flanker Terry Obee.

Otherwise, it was USC’s show all the way.

With the Oregon defense paying special attention to USC split end Erik Affholter, flanker John Jackson became quarterback Rodney Peete’s primary receiver. Jackson caught a career-high 7 passes for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The first touchdown of the game came on a spectacular 59-yard play. Peete, under pressure and falling back, lofted a pass to Jackson, who gathered it in on the Oregon 25-yard line behind cornerback Daryl Reed and streaked to the end zone.

Streak is the appropriate word because that was the pass pattern.

Jackson said that he was supposed to run an out route and, when the cornerback moved up in his face, he turned it into a streak pattern.

Peete just barely got the ball away while being hit and was stretched out on the field, having the wind knocked out of him. But he recovered quickly.

“Rodney is a tough guy,” Jackson said. “He’ll give his body to get the ball off.”

Later, in the fourth quarter, Peete teamed with Jackson on a 14-yard touchdown on an out pattern to end an 80-yard drive, USC’s only long scoring drive of the afternoon.

Peete completed 17 of 33 passes for 270 yards and 2 touchdowns while throwing an interception. Peete judged his performance as a “little inconsistent,” missing some scoring opportunities.

“I think when we got ahead, 21-0, at halftime we became a little complacent,” Peete said. “We need to develop a killer instinct.”

The Trojans scored 3 touchdowns in a span of 3 minutes 50 seconds in the first half.

After Jackson scored on the 59-yard pass play, USC cornerback Chris Hale tipped a Brothers’ pass that was intercepted by linebacker Delmar Chesley at the Oregon 32-yard line.

Peete, with more than sufficient time, threw a 27-yard pass to tight end Scott Galbraith. Tailback Steven Webster scored on the next play, a 5-yard run, with fullback Leroy Holt providing the key block.

On the ensuing kickoff, Oldham fumbled when hit by Kurt Barber, with USC strong safety Tracy Butts recovering at the Oregon 21-yard line.

The Trojans scored 8 plays later on tailback Scott Lockwood’s 1-yard run and the Trojans were breezing, 21-0, early in the second quarter.

Webster, who is making a comeback from major knee surgery, played extensively, as did Lockwood. Ricky Ervins, the starting tailback, suffered a hamstring injury on his first carry and didn’t play the rest of the game. Ervins said he originally hurt his leg in a mid-week practice.

Tailback Aaron Emanuel is inactive with a severely sprained ankle. Webster and Lockwood were the active tailbacks, with Calvin Holmes filling in spectacularly in the fourth quarter.

Holmes, a sprinter from Carson High, got USC’s last touchdown on a 60-yard sprint down the sideline after taking a pitchout.

For the game, Webster gained 78 yards in 12 carries, while Lockwood contributed 76 in 19 carries.

Webster got outside to gain 37 yards down the sideline to set up a field goal to make it 27-0 in the third quarter. He looked gimpy on the run, but he said that his knee felt fine.

“I wear a knee brace and I just can’t get full extension with my leg,” he said. “It has been a long road back, but I feel I’ve come back to where I want to be.”

USC’s offense sputtered at times, as Smith noted. However, Oregon’s offense was almost nonexistent, the Ducks getting a touchdown on a kickoff return and setting up another on a punt return.

Nelson completed 10 of 18 passes for 70 yards while throwing an interception; Brothers was 3 of 11 with 2 interceptions.

The Trojans had three field goal drives in the third quarter, with Quin Rodriguez successful on kicks covering 26, 27 and 32 yards. He was regarded as doubtful earlier in the week because of a hip injury.

USC lost a touchdown before Rodriguez’s second field goal. Peete found Affholter with a 4-yard pass in the end zone, but the Trojans were penalized for holding on the play.

Trojan Notes

USC Coach Larry Smith conceded that the game was different since Oregon quarterback Bill Musgrave was unable to play. “He has a lot of poise and moves around well,” Smith said. “One of their problems was that they couldn’t execute in the passing game” . . . USC’s Rodney Peete on the Heisman Trophy race: “There was a lot written about it at the start of the year before teams began playing. Now the emphasis is more on the teams and how they’re doing. I don’t miss it (the Heisman hype).” . . . Chris Oldham’s 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown was the first against USC since Missouri’s Curtis Brown had a 95-yard scoring return in the opening game of the 1976 season . . . USC linebacker Junior Seau missed trying to tackle Oldham at the Oregon 20-yard line . . . Oregon lost three starters due to injuries in the game, all linebackers: Scott Kozak (ankle), Bjarne Jensen (knee) and Scott Whitney (mild concussion) . . . Oregon Coach Rich Brooks said that he was concerned about USC split end Erik Affholter and wanted to take him out of the USC offense with double coverage. Affholter caught 4 passes for 35 yards . . . USC will play Wahington next Saturday at the Coliseum.