COLLEGE FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : USC : Conway Might Be Faster Than a Rocket

The play of USC’s multidimensional Curtis Conway has led some to compare him to former Notre Dame standout Raghib (Rocket) Ismail.

“I think there are some similarities in that they can hurt you in so many different ways,” USC Coach Larry Smith said. “From talking to Coach (Jim) Bush, (USC track coach) and some others, what they tell me is that Curtis has more explosion. He seems to accelerate quicker. That’s what they tell me. I’m not able to judge that on the field. If he’s quick enough to get to the goal line, that’s quick enough for me.”

USC, which will play Arizona State on Saturday at Tempe, Ariz., leads the Pacific 10 Conference with 4.7 sacks per game. . . . USC has converted only 28.9% of its third-down opportunities, ninth in the Pac-10. . . . Arizona State Coach Bruce Snyder, on senior linebacker Brett Wallerstedt, who leads the Sun Devils in tackles and is fourth in the Pac-10 with an average of 10.1: “He is as good as I’ve coached.”