It Doesn’t Take USC Long : Trojans: Otton connects with Johnson for a 57-yard touchdown on their first play in 45-10 romp over Houston. Walters strong in second half.

USC, behind Keyshawn Johnson’s spectacular first half and four touchdown passes by Brad Otton, rolled over Houston, 45-10, Saturday night.

Johnson finished with eight catches for 176 yards and two touchdowns. And he lit up the Coliseum crowd of 50,279 early when he and Otton teamed for a 57-yard touchdown on USC’s first play.

The victory put John Robinson’s team at 2-0, going into next Saturday’s Pacific 10 Conference opener at Arizona.

On a night when Otton and Kyle Wachholtz drove Robinson’s offense to 534 yards, junior tailback Shawn Walters made another bid to regain his starting job.

He averaged 9.5 yards in eight carries and was the heart of a USC drive that produced a 42-3 lead in the third quarter . . . as a third-stringer.

Otton’s four touchdown passes were the most by a Trojan in one game since Rob Johnson had four against Houston in 1993.

Otton completed 14 of 21 passes for 223 yards in his two quarters. In his second USC season, he still hasn’t thrown an interception.

Waccholtz completed nine of 15 for 149 yards and one touchdown to Johnson.

Afterward, Otton revealed he would have to finish the season with no meal money.

“I told the offensive line before the game that if we scored on the first play I’d give them all my meal money for the rest of the season,” he said.

“That’s why [tackle Norberto] Garrido ran over and hugged me. And Keyshawn told me for two days not to underthrow him.”

The Trojans wore down the Cougars in the second half, but it was slow going for a while.

USC provided the perfect setup for Houston (0-3) to fold its tent in the game’s first five minutes with two quick touchdowns, but the opposite occurred.

The Cougars, perhaps mindful of their 49-7 drubbing here two years ago, not only shored up defensively, but also moved the ball against USC--even after their best running back, Antowain Smith, went out in the first quarter because of a sprained ankle.

In fact, the theme of the final minutes of the first half was USC’s inability to protect Wachholtz. After Wachholtz was sacked for the third time with 10 seconds left, USC let the clock run out at midfield rather than risk throwing deep to Johnson.

Johnson registered his 10th consecutive 100-yard game with six minutes left in the second quarter, on a 16-yard pass from Wachholtz. By the time USC had a 21-3 lead, the Trojans were averaging almost 13 yards per play, thanks in large part to Johnson’s catches. In two games, he has 16 receptions for 300 yards.

Elapsed times for USC’s first two scoring “drives” were seven and 53 seconds.

Otton threw a perfect long ball on USC’s first play, faking first to tailback Leonard Green and then putting a high, soft pass into Johnson’s hands. Houston cornerback Delmonico Montgomery fell down as Johnson made the catch.

The 57-yard play was followed three minutes later by a four-yard scoring pass from Otton to Chris Miller--Johnson’s cousin. That one was set up by Green’s 36-yard burst up the left side on USC’s first play after a Houston punt.

Green (five carries, 34 yards) put the Trojans at Houston’s six, then to the four, and then came the second touchdown.

Wachholtz, who got in with 9:53 left in the second quarter, was sharp immediately, before his protection began to fail.

First he threw a 33-yard pass to Johnson, alone in front of the Houston bench. Then came a 16-yard pass to Johnson, after Wachholtz scrambled to free himself from a heavy rush.

From the 26, Wachholtz found the 6-foot-4 Johnson at the goal line, covered by two 5-foot-10 cornerbacks, over whom Johnson soared for the catch and a 21-3 lead.

Otton, starting the third quarter, raised it to 28-3 with a 23-yard sideline scoring pass to Terry Barnum. Otton was well protected on that play, but he wasn’t three plays earlier when he needed to scramble to find Green open on a wild pass/run play that gained 24 yards to Houston’s 23.

Green started again, and Delon Washington (14 carries for 64 yards) played behind him. Walters, who rushed for 976 yards in 1994, didn’t appear on the field until seconds were left in the first quarter. He had only 17 yards in two carries at the half, but asserted himself in the third quarter.

After Otton had thrown his fourth scoring pass, to tight end Johnny McWilliams and built a 35-3 lead, Walters powered USC to 42-3 on the next drive.

Even though two of his runs were reduced by Trojan penalties, he gained 48 of USC’s 73 yards on the drive, capping it with an eight-yard touchdown bolt up the middle on the third quarter’s last play.

Walters had gains of nine, 16, 15 and eight yards on the drive and became the game’s leading rusher to that point with 68 yards.

Houston finally got a touchdown, on its 12th possession, a 29-yard pass from Chuck Clements to Damion Johnson, with 13:01 left in the game.

USC freshman walk-on kicker Adam Rendon, filling in for Adam Abrams, who sat out the game with a strained thigh muscle, raised the margin to 45-10 with a 26-yard field goal with 8:41 left.

Houston drove to USC’s one-yard line late in the game but fumbled on fourth and goal.