Is Morton Durable? He’s Showing USC 1,000 Different Ways

Not many USC fans are likely to forget the first play of Chad Morton’s season, that stunning 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Purdue.

But it was during the fourth quarter of USC’s R. Jay Soward-powered victory over San Diego State at the Coliseum on Saturday that Morton showed some of what the Trojans might need most from him.

It was already late in the game, and Morton ran for eight yards. A little later, he was held to two, but then got two more on third and one for a first down. Then he ran six yards for another first down, and his 10-yard scamper from the 20-yard line set up Carson Palmer’s touchdown pass to Billy Miller.

Morton, a junior, finished with 110 yards after taking 23 handoffs, easily the most carries of his career. His third 100-yard game was by far the most workmanlike.

As for all those questions about his durability at 5 feet 8 and maybe 189 pounds?

“He was like the Energizer bunny out there,” said Hue Jackson, who coaches USC’s running backs. “Chad’s gotten stronger, and added more girth. I don’t think he missed a workout all summer.”

All that running and weightlifting apparently paid off.

“It actually works,” Morton said, smiling. “I didn’t even feel tired. In the fourth quarter, I felt good, just strong. My legs were so fresh. I don’t even think about [the possibility of getting hurt] anymore.”

Don’t get it wrong, USC loves Morton’s game-breaking runs and kick returns, and he is never going to be a pound-the-ball-up-the-middle runner. Nor does Coach Paul Hackett want him to take the pounding of 30 carries a game.

But with the season-ending knee injury to No. 2 tailback Malaefou MacKenzie, there is more responsibility on Morton’s shoulders--and those of the backups, Petros Papadakis and freshman Frank Strong.

So while Soward stole the spotlight with an electrifying 256 yards in nine plays, Morton racked up another 136 yards in all-purpose yardage to go with the 185 he had against Purdue.

He rushed for more than 100 yards, and this time he did it without the help of a 73-yard run, like the one he had as a freshman in a 143-yard game against Oregon State, or the 69-yard run he had in the 109-yard performance against Stanford last year.

“It was different,” Morton said. “No long runs, but a lot of two-, three-, four-yarders.”

His longest of the night was a 16-yard run--on second and 15.

“You’re hoping he gets half of it,” Hackett said. “The same with the [12-yard] touchdown run. You don’t know he’ll take it all the way in.”

Morton also caught three passes for 24 yards.

“What we’ve got to do is try to find ways for him to get the ball,” Hackett added.

It’s much the same with Soward, a receiver who had three carries----one a 42-yarder--to go along with his four catches.

“‘You want to keep [opponents] guessing as much as possible,” Morton said. “And it’s fun catching the ball. I just want to get the ball any way I can.”

It wasn’t so long ago that meant he’d have to make an interception, or wait for his chances on punt returns.

Partly because of his size, Morton was designated for defensive duty when he got to USC. Last season, he was the starting free safety for four games before the emergence of defenders Rashard Cook and David Gibson and the desperate needs at tailback sent him to the other side of the ball.

“It was a dream of mine to play running back, of course,” Morton said.

It might have seemed like a pipe dream once, even though Morton is the younger brother of the Detroit Lions’ Johnnie Morton, USC’s all-time leading receiver.

But after Chad broke his collarbone and missed most of his senior season at South Torrance High, there was so little recruiting interest in him that his father, Johnnie Sr., went to see John Robinson, then the USC coach, and took along the game films his wife, Katsuko, had made of their son’s games.

Robinson gave Chad a scholarship, and after a redshirt season, Morton has played four positions for the Trojans--free safety, cornerback, receiver and tailback--besides returning punts and kickoffs.

He probably has made his final position change now, and during the summer, Morton trained hard, hoping to avoid the hamstring and back problems he had last year as well as honing his body for the demands of playing tailback.

Once Hackett saw how hard Morton had worked, he didn’t worry much.

“He’s such a disciplined guy in his life, and very mature for a college student.”

With defense in his past, Morton also had time to learn more about USC’s offense.

“He’s always been very skilled,” Jackson said. “Now he has had time to study and understand what we’re doing up front to create lanes. He’s seeing things better, and getting a lot of [practice].

“He’s gifted. He’s exceptionally fast, has quick feet, real good vision, and he’s hard to tackle one on one.”

It is still very early in the season. But do the math, and you realize Morton has a chance to be USC’s next 1,000-yard rusher. And there has been only one of those in the last seven seasons--Delon Washington in 1995--at a school that once had 10 in a row from Anthony Davis to Marcus Allen.

The Trojans’ 12-game schedule helps, and a bowl game would help more.

“I hope we play 13 games,” Hackett said. “He’s doing a great job right now.”

As it stands, Morton needs to average 83.7 yards the rest of the season to reach 1,000. With a bowl game, that number would drop to about 76.

“I wish I could do that,” Morton said. “We haven’t had that in a long time.”