Woods, Van Raaphorst to Stick It Out

Quincy Woods and Mike Van Raaphorst accepted without resentment the news that John Fox has won the USC quarterback job Saturday, and both said they have no plans to leave USC.

“I’m disappointed, but it’s something I’ve got to live with,” Woods said. “I’m going to work hard and see what happens from there.”

Coach John Robinson’s announcement marked the end of a much-anticipated battle.

“We started out and wanted to make it a competition on the field. We did that, and [Fox] established himself,” Robinson said. “He’ll be our starter. We hope to get Quincy in the [Florida State] game, and Mike Van Raaphorst has a very good future here.”

Woods, like Fox a sophomore, now must wait for his opportunity.

“He said I’m going to get in and just to play away,” Woods said. “It’s the coach’s decision. That’s how it should be. I could have had a better camp.”

Fox said he’s more confident now, but there’s “no reason to slack off.”

“Quincy’s a great competitor. I know he’s taking it hard. He’s as well-deserving as I am. I know if I was to put myself in their shoes, it would be really tough.”

Van Raaphorst, a redshirt freshman, has time on his side.

“They said, ‘One play and John could be done for the year’--not that anyone wishes that,” Van Raaphorst said. “But we can’t take a lackadaisical attitude. We’ve got to keep working hard.”

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Robinson will break his tradition and wear a headset on the sidelines for the first time in years, since Hue Jackson, his new offensive coordinator, calls plays from the press box. Oregon State Coach Mike Riley, the Trojans’ previous offensive coordinator, called plays from the sidelines, as had some of his predecessors.