USC Does a Tailback U-Turn : Football: Walters and Washington combine for 200 yards in 24-17 victory over the Huskies.

The run is back.

USC’s long-dormant running game was sparked into life Saturday when sophomore Shawn Walters and freshman Delon Washington combined for 200 yards as the Trojans defeated the Washington Huskies, 24-17.

The Coliseum crowd of 54,538 came expecting to see USC quarterback Rob Johnson launch his quest for the Heisman Trophy. But the Trojan aerial attack faltered, accounting for a mere 129 yards, as Johnson was sacked six times.

Instead, it was the running of Walters, who gained 91 yards, and especially Washington, who picked up 100 of his 109 yards in the second half, that had the crowd buzzing.

The Huskies, not surprisingly, had a fairly decent running back of their own, but while Napoleon Kaufman’s efforts were impressive, they were not decisive.

The 5-foot-9, 185-pounder had a total of 244 yards. He gained 152 of them in 26 runs; he caught three passes for 34 yards and added 58 more yards on two kick returns. But he made no game-breaking plays, his longest run being 21 yards.

“He’s a great back, and he did a great job today,” USC Coach John Robinson said.

But it was Walters and Delon Washington who had Robinson more excited.

Walters, the 225-pound Texan who led the Trojans in rushing a year ago, had a powerful seven-yard touchdown run in the third quarter when he carried three Huskies into the end zone. Walters is a makeover project, a physical back who came to USC trying to outrun defenders, instead of running through them.

With 1:10 left in the third quarter, Walters crashed up the middle and slammed into three Washington defenders, carrying all three over the goal line.

It was probably Walters’ best game for USC, and yet Washington--who began summer training camp listed as the No. 7 tailback--played well enough to cause some to wonder if he might actually challenge Walters later in the season.

His 10 carries included one for 34 yards. He showed great acceleration, causing Robinson to say: “Yes, the run is back--at least for the next few days.”

Robinson blamed Johnson’s relatively unimpressive numbers on injuries to key receivers and a defense geared to stop the short-passing game.

USC wide receivers Ed Hervey and Keyshawn Johnson sat out or were slowed for most of the week’s practice sessions and Johnson said later the pass offense was out of sync.

Johnson, who passed for 3,630 yards last season, had only 129 Saturday, completing 18 of 23 attempts. He was intercepted once.

But on the Trojans’ winning touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter, it was Johnson who made the big play--a 13-yard scramble up the USC sideline. With the score 17-17, USC needed to convert a third-and-six play at the Washington 18.

Johnson called a pass play that deteriorated almost immediately, so he started running. He reached the nine, where he dived over the sideline. Johnson rose and spiked the ball, as if he had scored.

The touchdown came soon enough. Walters carried on three consecutive power plays, scoring standing up from the three with 3:36 left.

Kicker Cole Ford gave USC the 24-17 lead and the Trojan defense stopped Washington’s last drive at midfield.

Senior Trojan cornerback John Herpin had two interceptions. The second, with 10:50 to play, was a game-turning play. It launched the USC drive that produced the final touchdown.

And sophomore defensive end Willie Lowery was a force, particularly on Washington’s last drive, when he tackled Husky quarterback Damon Huard twice, once on a sack.

USC trailed early, 7-0, when Huard connected with a 1993 quarterback, Eric Bjornson, now a split end, on consecutive first-quarter plays of 34 and 52 yards. That’s 86 yards in 17 seconds.

USC tied the score when Johnson completed a six-yard pass to tight end Johnny McWilliams, and Ford gave the Trojans a 10-7 lead with a 32-yard field goal early in the second quarter.

Washington got the halftime lead, 14-10, on the game’s longest drive, a seven-minute, 15-play, 75-yard march. Kaufman got the touchdown with a one-yard plunge.

John Wales’ 29-yard field goal early in the third made the score 17-10.

USC tied the score on Walters’ seven-yard burst, then scored again after Johnson’s big scramble play two drives later.

Washington outgained USC, 361-294, but Robinson did not seem too concerned.

“We went through some serious lows today, almost got ourselves beat, but once we established that we could run the ball then we got control of the game,” he said.

Of Delon Washington, Robinson said: “For a while there, he looked like ‘The Natural.’ He did a wonderful job.”

Of Johnson: “Rob was looking for patterns that just weren’t there. The receivers were going sandlot on us, making up patterns as they went along. It was a tough day, because Washington was really geared to Rob. He made the big plays, though, that won (the game) for us.

“On that scramble, it took him two minutes (to gain 13 yards), but he did a great job. Good quarterbacks win when things aren’t going so good.”

Late in the game, the quarterback said, USC was stronger.

“Our offensive line had them worn down and Shawn was pounding on them,” Johnson said. “Then we brought in Delon, and he’s fast and quick.”

Huard, the Husky quarterback, agreed. Sort of. He was 12 for 25 for 197 yards but was intercepted three times.

“SC is very physical, they have a lot of speed and good athletes in the secondary,” he said.