USC Loses Washington in Eligibility Dispute : College football: Trojans expect quick resolution, but freshman tailback will be missed against Baylor.

As if he didn’t have enough problems patching together his injury-stricken pass offense, USC Coach John Robinson confronted another Friday--the loss for at least one game of tailback Delon Washington.

USC (1-1), which plays Baylor (3-0) tonight at the Coliseum, announced that Washington, a freshman, “will be withheld from further football competition until questions regarding his eligibility for intercollegiate competition have been resolved.”

The three-paragraph announcement stated only that Washington’s “initial eligibility . . . had been certified by the NCAA clearinghouse.”

The release further stated: “The matter is being thoroughly investigated, and USC believes it will be promptly resolved.”

A USC spokesman and Robinson said the university couldn’t further discuss Washington’s problem because of state and federal privacy restrictions.

It is believed, however, that there is a problem with Washington’s ACT test result, which qualified him for admission to USC.

After practice Friday, Robinson said, “I can’t talk about it, except to say from what I know about it, it’s something that can be cleared up quickly.”

He said Washington would be at tonight’s game but would not be in uniform.

Washington, a 5-foot-11, 190-pounder from Kimball High in Dallas, was to have been the backup tailback, behind sophomore starter Shawn Walters, tonight.

Washington, 18, was off to a fast start. He averaged 8.1 yards per carry in two games and had a 109-yard game in USC’s opener, a 24-17 victory over Washington. He had a third-down, 34-yard run on USC’s tying third-quarter drive in that game.

He scored a touchdown and gained 44 yards at Penn State two weeks ago.

Before the Penn State game, Nittany Lion Coach Joe Paterno acknowledged Washington’s skills, saying, “We know all about Delon Washington. Some people last year felt he was the best high school running back in the country.”

The circumstances of Washington’s decision to enroll at USC became a national story this year.

Soon after Washington had told his older brother, Benny, that he had reduced his choices to Michigan, Colorado and USC--the school his brother had once dreamed of attending--Benny Washington was shot and killed at a Dallas car wash.

Within hours of the shooting, Washington called Robinson and told him he had decided to attend USC.

Washington’s unavailability doubtless means extra duty for Walters, and another freshman, Rodney Sermons of Diamond Bar.

The Trojans were already short-handed in the backfield. A weeks-old hamstring injury plagues junior Leonard Green, who still isn’t available.

Robinson has been trying to piece together a pass offense to compete against an aggressive Baylor defense that has intercepted eight passes in three games.

The Trojans, after an off week, are at least partially healed after their 38-14 defeat at Penn State.

Baylor, led by true freshman quarterback Jeff Watson, has beaten Louisiana Tech, 44-3, San Jose State, 54-20, and Oklahoma State, 14-10.

USC, after opening with a 24-17 victory over Washington, played Penn State without two key wide receivers, Keyshawn Johnson and Ed Hervey. And quarterback Rob Johnson, hit in the back in the Washington game, played hurt. He was held out of last week’s practices but seemed fit this week.

The Trojans had hopes of building an explosive pass offense this season. To replace departed All-American Johnnie Morton, USC recruited Keyshawn Johnson and fit him into the attack with returnees Hervey and Ken Grace.

But Rob Johnson, who could become USC’s all-time passing leader this year, has thrown for only one touchdown and 350 yards in two games. Tonight, he has Keyshawn Johnson back. But Hervey is still sidelined because of a knee injury. Keyshawn Johnson sat out two weeks of practice and one game because of a thigh bruise that was bleeding into his knee.

If there’s good news for USC in any of this, it’s that freshman receiver Larry Parker from Bakersfield is not all that far away from being a starter.

Parker, 6-2 and 180, caught five passes for 40 yards at Penn State, with a long gain of 21, after not having played against Washington. Baylor has committed early to letting Watson lead the team. A six-foot, 205-pounder, he has completed 22 of 40 passes for 429 yards and five touchdowns.

Said Baylor Coach Chuck Reedy: “We thought there were four great high school quarterbacks in Texas last year. We recruited all four, and feel fortunate that Jeff is the one we wound up with.”

In his most impressive game to date, Watson brought Baylor from behind twice last week in the victory over Oklahoma State.

Baylor’s secondary is led by two NFL-sized safeties, Chris Lewis (6-3, 210) and Adrian Robinson (6-2, 210). They have three of Baylor’s eight interceptions.

USC Notes

Starting lineup changes: Terry Barnum has moved into the fullback spot ahead of David Dotson. Quincy Harrison, who had a 68-yard interception return at Penn State, has taken over at right cornerback, replacing Jerald Henry. Israel Ifeanyi starts at outside linebacker, ahead of Errol Small. Linebacker Donn Cunnigan and defensive end Elic Mahone are sidelined.

USC TROJANS

TONIGHT’S GAME

* Opponent: Baylor.

* Site: Coliseum.

* Time: 7 p.m.

* Records: USC 1-1. Baylor 3-0.

* Radio: KNX (1070).

* TV: Prime Ticket.