Morton Is Little Big Man as Trojans Come to Life

All hail the Trojan Mouse.

On a day when USC dumped Oregon State, 46-17, redshirt freshman Chad Morton zoomed 73 yards on a cutback sweep in the third quarter to give USC a 20-10 lead and put some life into a restless Coliseum crowd of 48,069.

Morton, easily the smallest, fastest and now certifiably the most exciting player on John Robinson’s 2-1 team, had the game Saturday that everyone has been expecting since last December, when he lit up USC’s Rose Bowl practices by impersonating Northwestern’s Darnell Autry.

USC lists Morton as 5 feet 8 and 180 pounds, but those are generous numbers. The more reliable statistics Saturday for the younger brother of former USC All-American wide receiver Johnnie Morton were 143 yards rushing in 13 carries.

So, even on an afternoon when another fill-in tailback, LaVale Woods, went into the record book with the longest run in Trojan history--96 yards, for the first touchdown--and Chris Brymer, the team’s best offensive lineman, broke his left foot, it remained for Morton to overshadow everything.

And while his 73-yarder seemed to lift his team out of its lurching, stumbling ways, his 12-yard run through traffic in the third quarter was even better, another for the ’96 highlight film. Morton was stopped dead in his tracks twice on the play, yet burst free both times.

Robinson summoned Morton from backup cornerback to the offense after the NCAA extended the one-game suspension of starting tailback Delon Washington to three.

So what happens now, with both Washington and Shawn Walters returning against Houston next Saturday? Or did Morton earn a starting assignment over two guys who have been in the NCAA jailhouse? And what about Woods? He had only 122 yards in 12 carries.

And then there’s junior Rodney Sermons, who had his best day in college football. He had a 59-yard rushing day, including a brilliant 40-yard touchdown run that made it 46-10 early in the fourth quarter, and a 16-yard touchdown catch.

Or is it back to defense for Morton? Not much was revealed Saturday. Offensive coordinator Mike Riley and Robinson both danced around the question, except Robinson said Morton would not start at tailback.

Still, Robinson marveled at Morton.

“His speed is phenomenal, but you have to tackle him. He just doesn’t fall down,” Robinson said.

And he seemed to say Saturday’s 13 carries were too many for a 170-pounder.

“You put him in too many collisions and he’ll get hurt,” Robinson said.

Not even the poker-faced Morton seemed to enjoy his game as much as his coach.

On the 73-yarder, Morton swept right, then cut back to midfield. And Robinson, 61, seeing no one would touch him, ran along the sideline briefly--rapidly falling behind--with a raised fist.

When told Robinson seemed concerned about his durability, Morton responded: “Well, guess I’ll just have to hit the weights harder.”

The Trojan Mouse has no idea whether he’ll be back on defense Monday or still on offense.

“I really don’t know,” he said. “it’s not up to me. I consider myself a cornerback, but I’ll do whatever they want. I just want to get on the field, either way.”

Against a good football team Saturday, USC might today be less than a .500 team. As it was, Trojan talent finally overwhelmed hapless Oregon State (0-2).

USC netted 621 yards, its highest total in seven years. And its 314 yards rushing was the most in five years.

However, the Trojans’ kicking game was horrible. They had a punt, field goal and extra point blocked. They were also penalized 105 yards.

Woods, one week after Matt Koffler and R. Jay Soward teamed for the longest play in Trojan history--97 yards--decided he wanted to break into the record book.

On a second down at USC’s 3, two plays after Sammy Knight and Mark Cusano stopped Oregon State on fourth down near the goal line, Woods cut upfield, veered left and made it all the way for a 96-yarder.

Until that, USC’s longest runs were 94 yards, by Dwight Ford (1977) and Zeph Lee (1984).

Oregon State seemed to wear down as the USC offense steadily found a rhythm. Brad Otton completed 17 of 29 for 254 yards and two touchdowns (to Sermons and Travis Hall), before giving way in the third quarter to backups Koffler and John Fox.

Thanks to Woods, Morton, Sermons and a bunch of 26- to 29-yard receptions by Chris Miller (116 yards), Billy Miller and Larry Parker, USC averaged 9.5 yards per run and 15.3 yards per reception.

The efforts by Woods and Morton marked the first time since 1991 two USC runners logged over 100 yards in the same game.

Woods’ 96-yarder was USC’s second play of the game, and it was followed by an interception of Otton, a blocked field goal and then the ugliest USC scoring drive of recent memory.

It lasted 6:53, 16 plays and 66 yards. The score was 6-3 when it began and 13-3 when it ended.

It was interrupted by two holding penalties and a delay flag against USC. After two Otton misfires midway through, there were boos. Finally, Otton and Sermons teamed for a 16-yard touchdown pass play . . . and nobody blocked the conversion.