Trojans Attempt to Strike Balance Against Buckeyes

Ohio State is not an ideal opponent for a team trying to pick up the pieces after absorbing its worst conference defeat in 30 years. But guess who has turned up today on USC’s schedule?

None other than the Buckeyes, who have had two weeks to prepare for USC and a year to remember a 42-3 pounding by the Trojans last season.

In that game at the Coliseum, USC overcame a 3-0 second-quarter deficit and dominated Ohio State, which incurred its worst loss since 1946.

Quarterback Todd Marinovich, lackluster in his first two starts last season, established himself, completing 14 of 22 passes for 246 yards and four touchdowns.

He went on to set a school record by completing 62.2% of his passes, earn recognition as college football’s freshman of the year and lead USC to a Rose Bowl victory over Michigan.

Today, though, he will be asked to prove himself all over again.

Last week, in a 31-0 loss to Washington at Seattle, Marinovich endured his worst game at USC, completing seven of 16 passes for 80 yards, with two interceptions.

But as the Trojans prepared for their first visit to Ohio Stadium since 1964, Coach Larry Smith said his team’s inefficient running attack was the No. 1 concern.

USC, which ran for only 28 yards against Washington, ranks ninth in the Pacific 10 Conference in rushing offense and will be up against an Ohio State defense that ranks third in the nation against the run.

Only Washington and Miami have given up fewer rushing yards per game than the Buckeyes, who are 2-0 after victories over Texas Tech and Boston College.

Smith gave three reasons for USC’s inability to move the ball consistently on the ground:

--The best blockers, guard Mark Tucker and tackle Pat Harlow, missed spring practice, Tucker with tonsillitis and Harlow with a back injury that required surgery. “For a lineman, that’s important,” Smith said. “They’re just now starting to get their feel back again. They have not given us the dominance we need.”

--The departure of fullback Leroy Holt, three times USC’s most inspirational player and the most productive rusher at the position in school history, left a huge void. Starting fullback Raoul Spears has run for 47 yards in 11 carries, and Scott Lockwood, who has alternated between fullback and tailback, has run for 33 in 12.

--Tailback Ricky Ervins, who has been limited to an average of 60 yards a game and three yards an attempt after leading the Pac-10 in rushing last season, has “started to question his cuts and is stuttering a little bit,” Smith said, as he adjusts to a new offensive line and life without Holt.

“I never want to get into a position where our offense depends on one person,” Smith said. “The best way for Todd Marinovich to be a great quarterback is for our running game to be successful.

“On the other hand, the best way for our running game to be successful is for him and the passing game to be highly efficient. The two go hand in hand.”

USC will attempt to establish a balance against a Buckeye defense that has given up only 63 yards a game on the ground and has yet to allow a rushing touchdown.

Ohio State is improved from last season, when it ranked sixth in the Big Ten in total defense, “simply because we’ve got better athletes,” Coach John Cooper said.

Two of the best are Steve Tovar, a linebacker, and Alonzo Spellman, a 6-foot-6, 265-pound sophomore who was moved last spring from linebacker to defensive end.

Offensively, the Buckeyes are led by quarterback Greg Frey, who topped the Big Ten in passing efficiency last season. Frey, who has completed 18 of 35 passes for 235 yards this season, was replaced by junior Kent Graham two weeks ago against Boston College, but Cooper said this week that Frey will start today.

Ohio State’s starting tailback is Robert Smith, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound freshman from Euclid, Ohio, who was wooed by USC before signing with the Buckeyes.

Running behind Scottie Graham, one of the nation’s highly regarded fullbacks, Smith has averaged 5.5 yards a carry.

Trojan Notes

A sellout crowd of more than 88,000 is expected in Ohio Stadium, where a grass field has replaced the artificial turf for the first time since 1970. . . . The weather forecast is for temperatures in the mid-70s.

Ohio State ranks 11th in the nation in total defense. . . . Linebacker Steve Tovar leads the team with 26 tackles, including three sacks.

Buckeye tight end Jeff Ellis is the son of Jimmy Ellis, a former heavyweight boxing champion. Ellis injured a knee against USC last year and was lost for the season. . . . Carlos Snow, Ohio State’s leading rusher last season, had a benign tumor removed from his right hip last April and will not play this season. He is expected back next season.

Until last week, the last time a team coached by Larry Smith was shut out was 1977, when Tulane lost to Pittsburgh, 48-0. . . . USC and Ohio State have met 20 times, including seven games in the Rose Bowl, the game’s most frequent matchup. USC leads the series, 10-9-1, including a 4-3 edge in Rose Bowl games.

USC and Ohio State have 12 national championships, nine Heisman Trophy winners and 55 bowl appearances between them. . . . Last January, the Buckeyes lost to Auburn, 31-14, in the Hall of Fame Bowl to wrap up an 8-4 season.