Will USC Have Cougars by Tail?

USC concludes the most travel-weary part of its schedule today--three out-of-state games in four weeks--no doubt wondering if there’s ever going to be a conclusion to its suspended-tailbacks story.

Today’s game against Houston in the Astrodome was to have been the Trojans’ first with senior Shawn Walters and junior Delon Washington back, but another charge affecting Walters surfaced Thursday and only Washington will play here today.

Washington, who just finished a three-game suspension for an “ethics infraction,” will start at tailback against the Cougars, his first action since the Rose Bowl game.

LaVale Woods, Rodney Sermons and Chad Morton will also play the position today, Robinson said.

Morton is USC’s quadruple threat. He’s also expected to play cornerback and on the punt and kickoff teams. Quipped Robinson: “If we need any long touchdown runs, we’ll send him in for those too.

Morton, a 5-foot-8, 170-pound redshirt freshman, had a 73-yard run against Oregon State last week, the highlight of his 143-yard evening.

USC decided to hold Walters out for the 13th consecutive game until it completes its investigation into a charge that he received benefits from an agent while on suspension for a similar, but unrelated, infraction.

Houston is a team USC trounced in 1993 (49-7) and 1995 (45-10) at the Coliseum, but the Cougars seem to have turned the corner under fourth-year Coach Kim Helton, who was 4-28-1 his first three years.

This season, the Cougars are off to a 2-1 start, including last week’s 42-35 overtime win at Pittsburgh and a 43-25 victory over Sam Houston in the opener. In between, Houston lost to Louisiana State, 35-34.

Helton sounded confident his team can play USC (2-1) tougher this time.

“They [USC] may still be Goliath, but we’re not David anymore,” he told the Houston Chronicle.

Robinson says Houston senior quarterback Chuck Clements “is one of the five best quarterbacks in the nation.”

Clements threw four touchdown passes against Pittsburgh and has a 64% completion rate and his offensive line hasn’t yielded a sack.

Robinson will be watching his rejiggered offensive line closely today.

After junior left guard Chris Brymer broke a foot last Saturday, it’s younger than ever.

Robinson has moved his 350-pound Hawaiian sumo wrestler, freshman Faaesea Mailo, to Brymer’s spot. He lines up between sophomore tackle Rome Douglas and junior center Jonathan Heimbauch. Freshman Travis Claridge starts again at right guard and sophomore Ken Bowen at right tackle.

Freshman middle linebacker Chris Claiborne starts in place of Taso Papadakis, who has a sprained ankle and a sore knee.

Another freshman, kicker David Bell, replaces Adam Rendon, who botched the first two kickoffs last week. Robinson replaced him with Bell during the game.

Robinson wants to win this one, then let a lot of sore joints heal, after playing three of four on artificial turf. The Trojans have a bye next week, then play California and Arizona at the Coliseum.

Trojan Notes

Quarterback Brad Otton threw short to receivers several times against Oregon State last week because he had pulled a hip muscle early in the game and it caused him to short-stride his passers. He is healed now, he said. . . . Senior weakside linebacker Sammy Knight wears a “BC” decal on his helmet. It stands for Bob Chandler and is in memory of the former Trojan and NFL star. Knight won the Bob Chandler Award last year, given to the team’s top junior student-athlete. Chandler died of cancer in 1995. . . . In its last two games USC has had five scoring drives of 95 or more yards.