Smith to Alternate His Two Quarterbacks : USC: Curtis Conway is so impressive in spring practice that the coach will use him and Reggie Perry as a 1-2 punch.

It was simple mathematics that prompted USC Coach Larry Smith to keep erstwhile flanker Curtis Conway at quarterback.

A state sprint champion and All-American quarterback at Hawthorne High School, Conway was used as a wide receiver and kick returner as a freshman at USC last season.

But when Todd Marinovich made himself available for the NFL draft, giving up his final two years of college eligibility, USC was left with only walk-ons to back up Reggie Perry, its only returning scholarship quarterback.

Smith turned this spring to Conway, telling the reluctant sophomore that he would be kept at quarterback only long enough to convince the coaches that he would be a capable replacement should anything happen to Perry.

But Conway was so impressive in spring practice, which ended Saturday with an intra-squad scrimmage at the Coliseum, that Smith has told Perry and Conway that they will alternate at quarterback next season.

“We started thinking, ‘If we put him at flanker and have him return kicks, he’ll touch the ball six, eight times a game,’ ” Smith said of Conway, who caught one pass for no gain last season. “But if we put him at quarterback, even if he splits time, he’ll touch the ball 25, 30, 35 times a game.”

Smith called the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Conway “a great athlete, maybe the best we’ve ever had. But he’s still unproven, so I don’t want to get too high too quickly.”

He is convinced, though, that a two-quarterback system can work.

“I do not want a quarterback controversy and I’m not trying to create one,” Smith said. “We’re not making it an issue of, ‘Well, you’re No. 1 and you’re No. 2, and you only play if the other guy screws up.’

“We’ve got a 1-2 punch. It could be (that) one starts five or six games and the other starts five or six games. I don’t know. I’m not going to worry about who’s starting. I feel we’ve got two weapons there instead of one.”

With both quarterbacks, Smith said, the Trojans will take a smash-mouth approach offensively, running the ball more than passing it.

“I like to knock people down, and that’s the kind of offense we’re running right now,” he said. “We’re back to good old Trojan football, which I like.

“The emphasis is going to be on (developing into) a running, physical team that will try to use its speed at all positions.”

Smith said that he would describe neither of his sophomore quarterbacks as a “touch” passer. Perry, who has yet to throw a pass at USC and took only three snaps last season, ran an option offense at Denison High School in Texas.

“But both of them could be capable passers in due time,” Smith said. “We can achieve a fairly good balance. We’ve got great speed at wide receiver and both quarterbacks can throw the long ball very well. We’re throwing the long ball better than we did a year ago.

“They’re not guys I would want to go into a game with and call 35 passes. They’re people who can hurt you with their feet.”

All four of them.

Trojan Notes

Coach Larry Smith said that Curtis Conway will continue to return punts and kickoffs. . . . Smith expects big things from outside linebackers Kurt Barber and Willie McGinest. He said Barber has the ability to be an All-American and that McGinest, by mid-season, “should be a fairly dominant player.” . . . Lamont Hollinquest, who missed last season because of academic difficulties, is listed No. 2 at strong safety, but could wind up as a starter at free safety, Smith said.

Centers David Apolskis and Titus Tuiasosopo have been moved to guard. Tuiasosopo is listed as a starter. . . . The Trojans will have 10 returning starters next season, five each on offense and defense. . . . Fall practice is scheduled to start Aug. 12, three weeks before the Trojans’ opener against Memphis State Sept. 2 at the Coliseum. . . . The Trojans will also play nonconference games against Notre Dame and Penn State, the latter at the Coliseum.