It’s Bounce-Back Time for USC : Spring football: Smith, Trojans try to put a 3-8 season well behind them.

Before embarking on spring practice and preparations for next season, USC football Coach Larry Smith attempted to purge a forgettable 1991 season.

USC was 3-8 last season, its worst since 1957 and only its second losing season since 1961, and ended the year with six consecutive defeats, a school record.

Not long afterward, Smith met with Vivian Credidio, a sports psychologist employed by USC.

“I was concerned, coming off a bad season, what they felt about themselves and the coaches,” Smith said of his players. “I was concerned about what the coaches felt about them.”

Without any coaches present, Credidio met with the players, who were free to voice their complaints without fear of reprimand.

Then, coaches and players were broken into small discussion groups, where they aired their differences and established goals.

“It wasn’t guys just bitching and griping at each other,” Smith said. “It was, ‘Hey, let’s have an intelligent discussion about this and get some things out.’ We tried to do things to bring ourselves together, (make us) tighter as a team.”

The result, Smith said, was improved communication between players and coaches and a spring session that, at its conclusion Friday, left the Trojans eager and optimistic about next season.

“Our team feels good about itself,” Smith said. “This was the most enthusiastic spring I’ve had. Normally in spring practice, you’re going to have some dog days, or some bad practices. But I can truthfully say that we did not have that this year.”

With 18 starters returning, next season could be pay-back time.

“They’re not talking about pay-back,” Smith said of his players. “They’re talking about bounce-back. As we get into the different teams, there will be some strong pay-back talk because we really got our noses rubbed in the dirt in a lot of different ways last season.

“A few teams that we’ll be playing, there will be some serious preparation (on USC’s part) and when we hit the field, there’s going to be some drilling.”

His hope is that, this time, USC won’t be getting drilled.

Trojan Notes

Sophomore quarterback Rob Johnson threw for 175 yards and a touchdown Friday, completing 11 of 16 passes to lead the Gold to a 23-14 victory over the Cardinal in USC’s annual end-of-spring scrimmage. Also for the Gold, tailback Deon Strother rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown in 19 carries, and Joel Scott made six receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns. For the Cardinal, tailback Dwight McFadden carried 18 times for 112 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback Reggie Perry completed three of nine passes for 50 yards.

Estrus Crayton, listed No. 1 on the depth chart at tailback, was held out of the scrimmage because of a shoulder injury. . . . Johnson and returning starter Perry are listed co-No. 1 at quarterback, but Coach Larry Smith said that Johnson probably would start if the season began today.

Three players who made position changes--Donn Cunnigan from strong safety to outside linebacker, Shannon Jones from inside linebacker to defensive guard and Elic Mahone from tight end to defensive tackle--emerged from spring listed either No. 1 or co-No. 1 at their new positions.