COLLEGE FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : USC : Muhammad Has Beavers Beaming

A man who coached Warren Moon at Hamilton High 20 years ago says an Oregon State quarterback who will probably play against USC on Saturday at the Coliseum is cut from the same cloth.

Ron Price was an assistant coach at Hamilton when Moon, now the Houston Oilers’ quarterback, played high school football. And he was the head coach at Fairfax High when Rahim Muhammad led Fairfax to an 18-2 record during the 1990 and ’91 seasons.

“Rahim is unique--he knows how to win better than any player I ever coached, and that includes Warren Moon,” said Price, now on the Santa Monica College staff.

“Warren had that great arm and was such a bright kid, but Rahim is really special. . . . And he’s a better runner than Moon was.”

Muhammad, a redshirt freshman, played for the first time this season in Oregon State’s 42-7 victory over Pacific last weekend. On his first play, he ran 63 yards to Pacific’s two-yard line. On the next, he passed for a touchdown. He is listed as the No. 2 quarterback and Coach Jerry Pettibone said Muhammad will play against USC.