Loss Leaves Marinovich Embarrassed

Todd Marinovich might not be bothered by all those questions about the Heisman Trophy anymore this season.

He might not even be asked about turning pro after his sophomore year.

But he had to meet reporters after USC’s 31-0 loss to Washington Saturday in Husky Stadium and it wasn’t much fun.

“I’ve never been shut out in my life,” the Trojan quarterback said. “It’s pathetic. I’m embarrassed.”

Another first for the former high school All-American and all-NCAA freshman was his being lifted from a game when his team was trailing.

The Trojans were losing, 31-0, with 14:04 left in the fourth quarter when he was replaced by senior Shane Foley.

On his way to the bench, Marinovich kicked his helmet.

“I was just upset at the loss,” he said an hour later, after regaining most of his composure and donning sunglasses.

Across the hallway, Coach Larry Smith said he yanked Marinovich because the offense needed a change of pace.

“Todd didn’t play well, but neither did anybody else,” Smith said. “I don’t want to single anybody out.”

Marinovich, who had thrown 99 consecutive passes without an interception since the first quarter of the Rose Bowl, was picked off twice and completed only seven of 16 passes for 80 yards.

“When somebody plays their best and you play your worst, you’re going to get beat bad,” Marinovich said. “That’s what happened to us today.

“We had to play a great game to beat them in their home stadium . . . We didn’t play up to our capabilities.”

He said the wrist that bothered him in the second half of the Syracuse game felt fine.

But something else hampered his grip--the University of Washington footballs.

“In the first half, we were using Washington balls for what reason I have no idea,” he said. “They were brand new balls. I hate throwing new balls.”

Not helping his delivery, either, was the Husky pass rush.

“I saw purple,” he replied when asked which rusher gave him the most trouble. “No numbers.”

Then there was the crowd noise, which was similar to that directed at the Raiders by SeattleSeahawk fans at the Kingdome across town.

“We never did anything to shut up the crowd,” said Marinovich, who didn’t even bother to step away from the line of scrimmage and appeal to the referee for help until it was 24-0.

The Trojans could take neither the crowd nor the Huskies out of the game.

“Quite a few guys hadn’t been here before,” said offensive guard Mark Tucker, a veteran of USC’s 37-23 victory in Husky Stadium in 1987. “They got rattled. The crowd was deafening.”

Linebacker Scott Ross tapped his skull.

“We didn’t use our heads,” he said. “We were in good shape physically, but we got emotionally tired. We got caught holding our jocks many a time. We’d stop them for two plays and, then, boom, 60 yards.

“A lot of our players were shocked. They had that 1,000-yard stare when something went wrong.”

For Ross, the leader of the defense, it was his first loss to Washington after three victories.

“We came in here thinking we were the USC Trojans and that we would beat them as always. The whole USC character is to think you’re the baddest guys on the block, but sometimes you get beat by the little guy.”

One of the little guys, Washington flanker LeMar Mitchell, was holding a rose by its stem as he ran into the dressing room Saturday.