After Day Off, Time for Serious Work

After taking Saturday off, USC turns its attention today to preparing for the opener against Purdue in the Pigskin Classic next Sunday at the Coliseum.

The Boilermakers were 9-3 last year in Coach Joe Tiller’s first season at the school and went to a bowl game for the first time since 1984.

But most of the players responsible for a wide-open offense that averaged 33 points a game are gone--including star receiver Brian Alford, quarterback Billy Dicken and the top two running backs.

“Looking at tape, they’re impressive. All we have to go on is last year,” USC Coach Paul Hackett said. “There is a personnel issue. They’ve had drastic changes, but they’ve got a veteran football coach who has been extremely successful every place he’s been. Our assumption is they’ll be similar to last year.”

The new quarterback is sophomore Drew Brees, who led Westlake High in Austin, Texas, to an undefeated record and the Texas large-school state title in 1996, but is about as inexperienced as Mike Van Raaphorst, USC’s sophomore starter.

Neither team is ranked in the Top 25, but USC, favored by about a touchdown, received enough votes in the Associated Press poll to rank 27th. Purdue was 32nd.

“Openers are always scary,” Hackett said.