It Doesn’t Look Good for Palmer’s Return

Carson Palmer was one of the last people holding out any hope he could play against UCLA this week, but Saturday he admitted it doesn’t look as if it’s going to happen.

“It’s probably run out of time,” Palmer said. “It’s not healed yet. It’s sore, and my shoulder’s weak. Things don’t look too good.”

Palmer tossed the ball a little before the game, but he can’t use his normal throwing motion.

Coach Paul Hackett has been calling Palmer’s hope of returning a longshot for some time, but he and USC’s medical staff are scheduled to decide today if he is officially out of the game.

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There was plenty of bad blood between Washington State and USC, both from players and heckling fans.

USC tailback Chad Morton said Washington State players taunted USC during warmups.

“I talked back to one big lineman, and he pushed me back and knocked me to the ground,” Morton said. “I chased him--No. 73.”

No. 73 is Ryan Raymond, 6 feet 7 and 313 pounds. Morton is 5-8, 185.

“They kind of broke it up, but I told the team they were trying to disrespect us,” Morton said.

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R. Jay Soward, who has a chance to finish in the top three on USC’s career receiving list, had three catches for 59 yards, raising his four-year total to 155.

Johnnie Morton is No. 1 on the list with 201. Keyshawn Johnson is second with 168, and John Jackson is third with 163--nine more than Soward with two games left in Soward’s career.

Soward left the game in the fourth quarter because of tightness in his recently injured hamstring, but his availability for the UCLA game is not expected to be a question.

“Coach Hackett told me if we need you at the end of the game, we’ll put you back in,” said Soward, who watched the last USC possession from the sideline. “It just tightened up.”

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USC tight end Antoine Harris, who started despite being bothered by a sore hamstring, left the game in the first quarter and did not return. Matt Welch and Pat Swanson replaced him. . . . Fullback Chad Pierson left the game because of a concussion. . . . Washington State’s leading tackler, Steve Gleason, left the game because of a leg injury and did not return. . . . Morton, a senior sociology major, has been named to the GTE Academic All-District 8 team for the second year in a row.