Perry Knows He Needs Work--and Time : USC: First-year starting quarterback doesn’t hesitate to criticize his passing ability.

Evaluating his performance at midseason, USC quarterback Reggie Perry shares the opinion of many who have followed the Trojans this season.

He sees a struggling first-year starter, a sophomore who took only three snaps last season, trying to find himself.

“I would say I’ve been very average, sometimes maybe even less than average,” Perry said. “I have a lot more work to do on improving myself.”

In five games, Perry has rushed for 216 yards and two touchdowns in 61 carries, leaving him on pace to become the Trojans’ most prolific running quarterback since the advent of the T-formation.

He has led USC to victories over Oregon and Washington State after a 1-2 start that included an upset of Penn State.

As a passer, however, Perry has been erratic, displaying great arm strength but little in the way of accuracy or touch.

His current completion rate of 47.1%, hurt by a seven-of-21 performance Saturday in a 34-27 victory over Washington State at Pullman, Wash., would be the worst by a USC quarterback since 1975, when Vince Evans completed only 31.3% of his passes.

He has completed 49 of 104 passes for 582 yards and a touchdown, with six interceptions.

His passing efficiency rating, which has dropped almost 20 points since USC’s opening game, ranks him 10th in the Pac-10.

“It’s just an execution thing,” Perry said. “I’ve made all the right checks and the right decisions and I’ve had guys open many times, but I just haven’t connected.

“I have to work on touch and making quicker decisions--releasing the ball before the (receivers) break, anticipating the breaks instead of waiting for guys to get wide open and throwing it late.

“In practice, I’ve been doing very well in anticipating and throwing the ball well. I’ve just got to carry it into (the games).”

USC has a wealth of swift, talented wide receivers, but Perry hasn’t been able to get the ball to them with any consistency.

Flanker Curtis Conway, expected to play a major role in the offense, has caught only five passes for 42 yards.

Larry Wallace and Travis Hannah, who combined for 35 receptions last season, have combined for two this season. Another wideout, Joel Scott, has two receptions.

Among the wide receivers, only Johnnie Morton is on pace to catch more than a dozen passes. He leads USC with 18 receptions.

Wallace, who made 20 receptions last season, said the situation has frustrated the wide receivers, who met recently to air their thoughts.

“We try to keep a positive attitude, but it’s kind of hard,” Wallace said. “We just have to fight through it and work it out. Hopefully, things will get better.”

Nothing has been said to Perry, but he senses the disappointment of a group that grew accustomed last season to the accuracy of Todd Marinovich.

“They should want the ball more,” Perry said. “I want to distribute the ball to them more. That’s just something I have to work on. They’ve helped me out a lot by not saying anything about it, but I’m sure it’s in the backs of their minds. They want the ball.

“It’s only natural. They’re receivers. They’re not wide blockers. They get tired of blocking, or me overthrowing them.”

Many of Perry’s throws have sailed over the outstretched hands of their intended receivers.

“I think I should put a little more air on the ball on my long passes,” he said. “I’ve been throwing bullets and trying to hit receivers on the money instead of throwing the ball up and letting the receivers fight for the pass.

“We have great athletes at receiver, and I should let them do the work for it, instead of trying to put the ball on the money all the time.”

Despite his problems, Perry said his confidence remains high.

“It’s just that I get frustrated at times,” he said. “I know that I can do the things well, but it’s just not clicking. I’ve got to move on and put those things behind me and move on to the next play.”

Or the next game.

His teammates haven’t given up on him--”He’ll be a good passer,” Wallace said--and neither has Coach Larry Smith.

Smith says he is concerned about Perry’s completion percentage, but he sees reason for optimism.

“His decision-making is getting better,” Smith said. “He’s seeing the right people. He’s pulling the trigger a little better.

“I think it’s going to come.”

But it hasn’t yet, and Perry, asked to grade his performance to date, gave himself a C-minus.

“It’s definitely something I have to pick up because the major part of our schedule is coming up,” he said.