Crayton Makes Trojan Tailback Spot a Threesome : USC: When Strother is ineffective, he takes over and rushes for 185 yards in a 31-14 loss to Arizona.

When a team is in a five-game losing streak, it is difficult to find anything positive in another loss.

However, USC had a bright spot in the performance of Estrus Crayton in its 31-14 defeat at Arizona Saturday.

After gaining 94 yards in USC’s first nine games, Crayton came off the bench to rush for a career-high 185 yards and one touchdown in 27 carries.

It is the most rushing yards for a Trojan since Mazio Royster gained 203 against Washington State last season.

If not for Crayton, the Trojans’ fifth consecutive loss would have been worse.

“It felt good to see Estrus gaining eight or nine yards a carry,” USC offensive tackle Tony Boselli said.

Crayton, a 6-foot-2 junior college transfer, carried the Trojans all game, accounting for 223 of USC’s 294 offensive yards.

After Deon Strother started at tailback but was ineffective, Crayton took over in the second quarter. He gained 48 yards in his first two carries, and the position was his for the rest of the game.

“After the first two runs, I was in the flow of things,” said Crayton, who played last year for Rancho Santiago College in Santa Ana. “It felt like junior college all over again.”

Crayton consistently found holes in the Arizona defense in averaging 6.9 yards per carry.

“The offensive line did a great job,” Crayton said, who had problems with fumbles early in the season after 4,062 yards in two junior college seasons. “They were opening holes all over the place. Basically, they dominated the whole game.”

Crayton accounted for 58 of USC’s 64 yards in its first scoring drive that was capped when he caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Rob Johnson to cut Arizona’s lead to 10-7.

Crayton seemed to settle into USC’s tailback-by-committee system on the Trojans’ second possession of the second quarter. He rushed for 34 yards in five carries and caught a 10-yard pass before dropping a key third-down pass near the Arizona end zone. USC missed a field goal on the next play.

“That ball was very catchable,” said Crayton, who caught four passes for 28 yards and a touchdown. “I usually catch those.”

Crayton rushed for 94 yards in 10 carries in the first half.

After an Arizona fumble in the third quarter, he gained all 29 yards in the Trojans’ three-play scoring drive that included his nine-yard touchdown run.

“Each time I came off the field I had to keep checking with the coaches to see if I was going back in,” he said. “Finally after a while, they decided I was the hot back and kept me in.”

On USC’s next drive, Crayton led the Trojans to Arizona’s eight-yard line. He had gained 40 yards in six carries before Johnson fumbled into the end zone, which ended USC’s last touchdown threat.

“This game was very frustrating,” Crayton said. “I thought we played good as a team, but the result was not good.”

It is an outcome the Trojans have experienced seven times this season. The only thing different was the emergence of Crayton.

After beginning the season with Royster, who started four games, USC has started Strother the last three games. Based on his effort Saturday, Crayton might get the call next week against UCLA.

Said Strother: “I had the first shot (against Arizona), but I did not get the job done. So, someone else came in and made it work. It’s good that we were able to run the ball, but it would have been better if we had of won.”