Notes on a Scorecard - Aug. 30, 1993

Whether the coach is Larry Smith or John Robinson, whether the game is in December or August, whether the opponent is Fresno State or North Carolina, you can always count on USC to turn in a Mickey Mouse performance at Anaheim. . . .

Robinson was supposed to bring back Student Body Right, but it all went wrong for the Trojans on opening night against the Tar Heels. . . .

The rushing attack was virtually nonexistent after tailback Dwight McFadden suffered a broken ankle late in the first quarter. . . .

The defense was baffled much of the night by simple option plays. . . .

The special teams had a punt and field goal and extra-point attempts blocked. . . .

In other words, the Trojans picked up exactly where they left off last year. . . .

Are you ready for another great Los Angeles quarterback controversy? . . .

It was apparent Saturday night at Anaheim Stadium that this one will involve the Rams, not the Raiders. . . .

During the final dress rehearsal for the NFL regular season, two quarterbacks played well--starter Jeff Hostetler for the Raiders and backup T.J. Rubley for the Rams. . . .

The Ram starter, Jim Everett, was described by Raider defensive lineman Anthony Smith as being “very antsy.” . . .

When everyone around Everett--his blockers, receivers and runners--are operating efficiently, he is productive. However, he got little help during the exhibition season and didn’t throw a touchdown pass in four games. . . .

In contrast, Rubley is a scrambler. He can make something out of nothing. Against the Raiders, he escaped the grasp of some rushers and combined with wide receiver Richard Buchanan on a 51-yard play that set up the Rams’ only touchdown. . . .

Rubley had good numbers in the exhibition season last year as a rookie out of Tulsa and then sat out the entire the regular season. If Everett can’t get the team going Sunday in Milwaukee against the Green Bay Packers, Coach Chuck Knox shouldn’t hesitate to give Rubley some quality playing time. . . .

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Tom Hansen, commissioner of the Pacific 10 Conference, is a University of Washington graduate. . . .

Thumbs down on the conference for making the Washington penalties too severe and on Don James for quitting so close to the start of the season. . . .

Look-alikes: New Washington Coach Jim Lambright and actor Jack Warden. . . .

The Kings’ loss of Marty McSorley shouldn’t be minimized. No longer strictly an enforcer, McSorley was one of the main reasons the Kings were able to advance to the Stanley Cup finals last season. . . .

Maybe the Kings, with Wayne Gretzky on their payroll, couldn’t afford to pay McSorley nearly $10 million for five years, but how can the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have Mario Lemieux on their payroll? . . .

Pretty soon, McSorley will be known as the Mighty Penguin. . . .

Magic Johnson, friends and family are taking a yacht trip in the south of France and coast of Italy. When the boat docked in Monte Carlo, hundreds of people gathered and shouted, “Magic, Magic.” An announcement is expected soon that Johnson will become a spokesman for NBA International. . . .

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The Clippers reportedly have offered Danny Manning, John Williams and Randy Woods to the Charlotte Hornets for Kendall Gill, Johnny Newman, Kenny Gattison and first-round draft choice Scott Burrell of Connecticut. . . .

Tommy Lee Jones, so formidable in “The Fugitive,” and a former all-Ivy League defensive lineman at Harvard, will play the lead role in Ron Shelton’s “Cobb.” . . .

Gerrie Coetzee, 38, should become a major factor in the heavyweight division by next year. . . .

In the same Sacramento ring where George Foreman began his comeback in 1987, Coetzee, the former World Boxing Assn. champion from South Africa, knocked out Dave Fiddler with a straight right hand in the second round Friday night. . . .

Fiddler didn’t offer much competition, but Coetzee would have beaten a lot of other heavyweights on his first night back after an eight-year retirement. Looking fit at 237 pounds, he showed surprisingly good reflexes. . . .

Promoter Don Chargin would like to showcase Coetzee, who is living in Newport Beach and being trained by Jackie McCoy in Westminster, three more times before matching him against a world-class opponent. . . .

News item: The Dodgers are scheduled to play six games in Japan after the season. Reaction: During their last such tour in 1966, Maury Wills jumped ship and was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates before the start of the next season. . . .

Comedian Pat Buttram: “The magic number for the Angels and Dodgers is 911.”