Hangover Could Help USC

There’s a bit of mystery about USC’s game against No. 12 Oregon this afternoon at Autzen Stadium.

Will the Ducks have recovered, a week after their 41-38 overtime loss to UCLA?

And how much of a break did USC get when Oregon tailback Reuben Droughns, a 200-yard rushing threat, suffered a season-ending injury against the Bruins?

“It’s very difficult to predict what will happen to a team that clearly played a great football game and lost in overtime--and add to that the loss of their runner,” USC Coach Paul Hackett said. “You just don’t know because they haven’t been through that yet.

“We had to play without Chad Morton. How much has that affected us? They now have to play without their great runner. How will that affect them? I don’t know.”

Neither does Oregon Coach Mike Bellotti.

“To play that hard and get that close and not win is difficult,” he said. “We made some mistakes that cost us. We still had a chance to win, despite our mistakes. Had we played a little bit better football game, we’d have won that game. We didn’t, so we have to fight back from that.

“We need to have great resolve. I told the kids that they had a couple of hours to be disappointed, but that we were not discouraged. We’re 5-1 and just took the second-ranked team in the nation to overtime.

“The other thing I said was that, win or lose, every game we played after that was going to be tremendously important. Now we have to get back up and get ready for USC.”

The Ducks, 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Pacific 10, are trying. But standout quarterback Akili Smith acknowledges it has been difficult.

“I don’t really think I let go until the end of Monday’s practice,” he said.

In the back of their minds, there’s another bit of motivation. Oregon almost beat USC last season, lining up for what would have been a game-winning 36-yard field goal with eight seconds left.

USC’s Marc Matock, now out because of a broken ankle, got a hand on the ball and the kick didn’t quite make it to the crossbar, preserving a 24-22 USC victory.

“We thought we had USC last year, then the field goal fell short,” Smith said.

Smith came off the bench in that game, leading an Oregon rally after USC had taken a 21-3 lead at halftime.

Smith figures to be the key to this game too, with running backs Derien Latimer, Jason Cooper and Jerry Brown trying to fill in for Droughns, who underwent ankle surgery after breaking a bone and suffering ligament damage in his lower leg against UCLA.

USC (5-2, 3-1) has an offense that can only do so much to keep up with Oregon’s 48.5-point scoring average. So the Trojan defense has spent much of the week trying to practice wrapping Smith up or knocking him out.

“He gave us fits last year when he came into the game,” linebacker Chris Claiborne said.

He’s been giving everybody fits, having completed 56% of his passes for 1,639 yards with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 18-4. Those statistics rank him second in the nation in passing efficiency, just behind Syracuse’s Donovan McNabb.

“As much as he’s a threat to pass the ball, at the same time he can run the ball,” USC linebacker David Gibson said. “Everyone has to do their job. You can’t stop him, but you can contain him. If you key on one thing, you leave something else open. He’s so versatile.”

John Fox, USC’s starting quarterback last season and now No. 3, played the role of Smith for the scout team this week. He got a good look at the Trojan defense.

“I think they’re hungry,” he said. “It’s like pulling teeth trying to complete a pass against them.

“They’ve got the killer instinct. They’d put me out if they had to.”

Consider that a subtle hint of USC’s intentions against Smith.

“We’ve done a pretty good job knocking quarterbacks out of the game this season,” Gibson said, referring mainly to Arizona State’s Ryan Kealy, who was knocked out in the first half on a hit by Claiborne.

“I’m very impressed with their defense,” Bellotti said. “I haven’t seen an accumulation of athletes in the Pac-10 that ranks with what USC has. It starts with Chris Claiborne. He’s the best linebacker I’ve seen this year, there’s no doubt about it.”

Smith, from San Diego’s Lincoln High and Grossmont College, will be the best quarterback USC has seen.

“I’ve known him for about 10 years,” said USC safety Rashard Cook, who went to San Diego’s Morse High. “We played in the same Pop Warner league, we played at rival schools. I know what he can do in a game.

“He can get away, get out of the pocket and run or throw downfield. He’s big and fast.

“I know they’ll come back. You saw how we came back after the Cal game. I’m sure they won’t let this affect them.”

USC at Oregon

Today, 3:30 p.m.

Ch. 9 XTRA (690)