BOWL REPORT : JOHN HANCOCK : USC’s Wellman Four Yards Shy of 1,000

Flanker Gary Wellman, who made 63 catches for 996 yards in the regular season, has a chance to become USC’s first 1,000-yard receiver for a season when the Trojans play Michigan State in the John Hancock Bowl at El Paso on Monday.

“I’m surprised from the standpoint of where he was when we first came in here four years ago,” Coach Larry Smith said. “He basically was a little kid who could run like heck. (We thought:) ‘How’s he ever going to make it? He’s not going to be big enough or physical enough to play in the Pac-10.’ ”

Wellman, a 5-foot-9 senior, ranks fourth on USC’s all-time receiving list with 108 catches. He needs six to move past Hank Norman into third place.