COLLEGE FOOTBALL REPORT : WEEKDAY UPDATE : USC : Rocket Grounded by Doctor--Probably

Notre Dame’s Raghib (Rocket) Ismail is “very, very doubtful” for Saturday night’s game against USC at the Coliseum, Irish Coach Lou Holtz said Tuesday.

A deep thigh bruise kept Ismail out of the second half of Notre Dame’s 24-21 loss to Penn State last Saturday at South Bend, Ind. Ismail injured his right thigh two months ago against Michigan State, aggravated the injury a week later against Purdue and didn’t play the next week in a 36-31 loss to Stanford at Notre Dame.

“Initially, (the doctors) said he was definitely out of (this week’s) game,” Holtz said. “Rocket refuses to hear that. I’d say the chances of him playing in the game are very, very doubtful, but I’d be less than honest if I didn’t tell you that I have saved a spot on the airplane in the event that something changes.”

Even if he plays, Holtz said, Ismail will not return kicks.

In last season’s 28-24 loss to Notre Dame at South Bend, USC quarterback Todd Marinovich passed for 333 yards, setting school records with 33 completions and 55 attempts. Last Saturday, in a 45-42 victory over UCLA at the Rose Bowl, Marinovich threw a game-winning 23-yard touchdown pass to Johnnie Morton.

So, who will start Saturday against Notre Dame? As they have every week for the past month, Marinovich and senior Shane Foley will compete for the job in practice, Coach Larry Smith said.

“I’m not going to change it now,” Smith said.