Big Guns Miss Practice

Chances are they’ll be OK, but it’s a scary sight for USC when tailback Chad Morton and receiver R. Jay Soward are on the sideline during practice.

Together they account for about 278 yards a game, including kickoff and punt returns.

Morton has been resting a strained back all week--but the last time he had this injury, he rushed for 123 yards against Oregon State.

Soward sat out Thursday because of a quadriceps strain, and also has had a slightly sore ankle.

“I played through [the quadriceps strain] last week,” Soward said. “I’m just resting it.”

Morton’s back is a little more of a concern--enough to make Coach Paul Hackett wish for a “magic laying on of hands” for Morton by game time.

After injuring his back weightlifting two weeks ago, Morton was hurt again when he was hit on his third-quarter touchdown run against Florida State.

Last time, Morton skipped Tuesday and Wednesday but practiced Thursday. This week, he hasn’t practiced at all.

“At breakfast before the Oregon State game, he told me, ‘I don’t think I’ll be able to go,’ ” Hackett said, recalling how Morton responded with a 100-yard game. “If at all possible, Chad Morton will be in there. If not, the other guys will have to pick up the slack.”

One area likely to be affected is special teams, with either Morton or Soward likely to skip kickoff and punt returns. Larry Parker or freshman Frank Strong would be the candidates to join Daylon McCutcheon in their places.

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Even though quarterbacks Mike Van Raaphorst and Carson Palmer are sharing time and Palmer played half of the last game, Hackett doesn’t intend for the situation to evolve into something like the Brad Otton-Kyle Wachholtz saga three seasons ago.

“I don’t believe in doing like Ohio State [last season], rotating every series or every quarter,” Hackett said, who has been steadfast that Van Raaphorst is the starter.

“Like a lot of competitive situations, you really look for someone to emerge,” Hackett said. “You allow them to develop to a point, and then it’s ‘All right, the best performer needs to get more time.’ At some point, it’s yours because you earned it.”