COLLEGE FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : USC : Main Task in Opener: Stop Kaufman

There’s no question that USC’s primary challenge Saturday in its opener against Washington is containing Napoleon Kaufman.

The 5-foot-9, 185-pound running back from Lompoc rushed for 1,299 yards last season and accounted for 1,851 all-purpose yards. He ran for 119 yards during the Huskies’ 22-17 loss to the Trojans at Seattle but was unable to make a big play.

Kaufman has 3,832 career all-purpose yards and should pass the Huskies above him, Joe Steele (4,004) and Hugh McElhenny (4,234), early this season.

Kaufman considered making himself available for the NFL draft a year early, but decided against it.

“We’re delighted he stayed for his senior year,” Washington Coach Jim Lambright said. “The NFL people told him if he wanted to come into the league as an all-around small back, they wanted to see him do other things, like return kicks, and we’ll let him do that this year.”

*

Robinson said he has received a letter of apology from Stanford Coach Bill Walsh for remarks published in Lowell Cohn’s book, “Rough Magic.” Cohn had access to all Stanford coaches’ meetings during the 1992 season.

Walsh was quoted as saying of USC: “This team we’re playing is yesterday. . . . a team of the ‘60s, trying to hold onto the past. . . . We beat Yesterday U.”

Robinson said he didn’t mind but added: “I’ll wait until the week of the Stanford game. . . . Then I’ll be shocked and appalled.”