Johnson Not Expected to Start for USC : College football: Quarterback’s sprained ankle hasn’t healed, which comes as a surprise to backup Otton.

Rob Johnson probably will miss his first quarterback start for USC in 29 games today when the Trojans play Oregon State, Coach John Robinson said Friday.

After a 20-minute practice at the University of Oregon in Eugene, 45 miles from here, Robinson said he didn’t believe the right ankle Johnson sprained in last Saturday’s 22-7 loss to Oregon had healed sufficiently for Johnson to play.

“Unless there’s a real change overnight, we’ll probably start Brad (Otton), Robinson said. “That’s my intention right now. Rob wants to go, but I don’t think he’s ready.’

Otton, a 6-foot-6 sophomore transfer from Weber State who finished up for Johnson last Saturday, seemed surprised.

“I thought all week he’d be ready, but it’s probably more serious than anyone thought,” Otton said.

Otton completed seven of 15 passes for 79 yards last Saturday, and took most of the practice snaps this week as Robinson rested Johnson in hopes that the sprain, high on the outside of the ankle, would heal.

But Johnson seemed to favor the heavily taped ankle as he threw Friday.

“It was a little sore this morning, from yesterday’s practice,” he said.

“The problem is when I plant, and when I go side-to-side--that’s the worst.”

The ankle is Johnson’s second injury this season. He played despite a sore lower back for two games after the Washington game.

He was held out of two practices then, and said at the time it was the first practice he ever had missed, not only at USC but in four varsity sports at El Toro High.

Johnson became the first post-World War II true freshman to start at quarterback for USC in 1991 and has started the past three seasons.

Otton might get plenty of opportunity to show his passing wares in today’s matchup at Parker Stadium, which brings together the best and worst rushing teams in the Pacific 10.

In almost any other season, there would be no need to ask which is which.

But in 1994, Oregon State really is the conference rushing leader, at 272 yards per game . . . and USC is 10th and last, at 119 yards a game.

Is it possible?

As Eugene Register-Guard writer Bob Rodman put it:

“Three things you thought you’d never see:

--”Madonna as a nun.

--”Eugene as a manufacturing site for nuclear weapons.

--”USC as the worst rushing team in the Pac-10.”

Oregon State uses the triple-option offense, which contorts its offensive stats as much as it does opponents’ defenses. USC’s passing yardage is almost five times Oregon State’s.

As USC defensive coordinator Don Lindsey put it, “The problem with the wishbone is, even after the ball is snapped, you still don’t know where the ball is going.”

In modern college football, wishbone week is a defensive coordinator’s longest of the season.

“Just 15 years ago, you’d see a wishbone team two, three times a year,” Lindsey said. “Now, you see one maybe once a season. And the problem is, it’s very hard to simulate in practice. You just can’t show it to your defense as well as they need to see it.”

Lindsey has reason for concern. His defense also ranks last in the Pac-10, giving up 434.5 yards per game.

The Beavers are led by three runners who have accumulated 752 yards in four games: quarterback Don Shanklin, averaging 7.4 yards per carry; J.J. Young at 5.6, and J.D. Stewart at 4.7.

At Arizona last Saturday, Oregon State rushed for 185 yards, the most given up by the Wildcats since 1991.

Young, a 5-10, 192-pound senior from South Pasadena, is the most dangerous of Coach Jerry Pettibone’s backs. He is fast, has had five touchdown runs of more than 40 yards in his college career, and had a 68-yard scoring run in Oregon State’s opener at Arizona State.

For all of that, however, the Beavers have a 1-3 record, having beaten only Wyoming. They have lost to Arizona State, Fresno State and Arizona.

USC, as it was a year ago, is in a win-every-other-game mode. The Trojans beat Washington in the opener, lost at Penn State, beat Baylor and then lost a stunner to Oregon last week, 22-7.

Wishbone preparation and Johnson’s status have been the twin concerns of USC’s practices all week.

A year ago in the Coliseum, USC stopped the Beavers’ wishbone with little trouble. In a 34-9 victory, the Trojans gave up 223 yards rushing, but shut down Oregon State’s pass offense completely. The Beavers were zero for five passing.

USC today seeks to avoid being the first Trojan team since 1957 to lose to both Oregon schools in the same season. Results of recent years indicate they will not.

USC has not only beaten Oregon State 20 consecutive times--its longest Pac-10 winning streak--but it hasn’t scored fewer than 33 points in the last 11 of those games. In the five between 1985 and 1990, USC didn’t score fewer than 41 points.

USC TROJANS TODAY’S GAME

* Opponent: Oregon State Beavers.

* Site: Parker Stadium, Corvallis, Ore.

* Time: 3:30 p.m.

* Records: USC 2-2, 1-1 in Pacific 10; Oregon State 1-3, 0-2.

* Radio: KNX (1070).

* TV: Prime Ticket.