Something Is Missing for Trojans

For all the wild and woolly events that later unfolded in USC’s 33-30 triple-overtime loss to Oregon Saturday night, there could hardly have been a worse sight for USC than the one on the sideline in the third quarter.

Carson Palmer in sweats, his right shoulder in a sling.

The extent of Palmer’s injury was unknown for the moment. “There is concern that it could be significant,” USC spokesman Tim Tessalone said before the game ended.

But Palmer or no Palmer, there was a crazy affair with the Ducks that had to be settled.

Every time it seemed over, it wasn’t.

Not until midnight was approaching and third-string Oregon kicker Josh Frankel kicked a 27-yard field goal in the third overtime after USC’s David Newbury missed badly from 37 yards out minutes earlier.

Frankel’s kick sent the standing-room only crowd at Autzen Stadium onto the field in a delirious rush, and sent the Trojans trudging to the locker room exhausted after a game that lasted four hours and 20 minutes.

It was a game in which USC (2-1, 0-1 in Pacific 10) committed an astonishing 21 penalties, tying the conference record, for 178 yards.

It was a game in which R. Jay Soward emerged from his funk, catching a career-high 12 passes for 148 yards.

And it was a game in which former starting quarterback Mike Van Raaphorst came on in relief of Palmer and passed for 227 yards, completing 20 of 36 passes.

It was awful and awesome, all at once.

Chad Morton scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to give USC a 23-20 lead, then the Trojans watched Oregon’s Nathan Villegas send the game to overtime with a 26-yard field goal with 30 seconds left. The door was left open by a flubbed extra-point attempt by the Trojans after a penalty for excessive celebration.

In the first overtime, USC took first crack from the 25-yard line, but ended up missing a 51-yard field goal attempt--it would have been the longest make of Newbury’s life--after a sack and a false start pushed USC farther and farther from its goal.

The game looked gift-wrapped for Oregon, which has a standout kicker in Villegas. But Villegas injured his right knee at the end of regulation while celebrating his tying kick, and with the pressure heavy on the shoulders of backup kicker Dan Katz, Katz badly missed a 33-yard field goal that would have given his team victory.

Oregon found the end zone in the second overtime, with A.J. Feeley connecting with Todd Brooks on a one-yard pass after a pass-interference call against USC’s Kris Richard gave Oregon a first-and-goal at the two-yard line.

Frankel, Oregon’s third kicker of the game, made the extra point for a 30-23 lead.

It was USC’s turn, and on third-and-goal from the four-yard line, Van Raaphorst found Soward in the right corner of the end zone, silencing the crowd. Newbury’s kick tied it.

In the third overtime, Newbury’s miss set up Frankel’s game-winner, and Oregon celebrated.

The game had been tied at halftime before Palmer’s departure, 10-10.

Palmer’s injury escaped most people’s notice when it happened as he lowered his shoulder trying to get out of bounds in the final minute of the first half.

The stunned Trojans fell behind by 10 points in the third quarter, then rallied with two fourth quarter touchdowns for a 23-20 lead with 3:08 left--only to see Oregon drive deep enough into USC territory for Villegas to tie the score.

After the halftime tie, Oregon took a 13-10 lead on a 19-yard field goal by Villegas after a drive fueled by three costly USC penalties--a personal foul, a facemask and a pass-interference call against Antuan Simmons for shoving a receiver out of bounds.

Oregon made it 20-10 with two minutes left in the third quarter when Herman Ho-Ching dived into the end zone after catching a short pass from Feeley from the USC 10-yard line.

It was a drive that began with a fumble by Soward after a 21-yard catch to the Oregon 31-yard line.

USC looked done for, but the Trojans weren’t quite.

Van Raaphorst, the onetime starter who was pushed aside by Palmer last season, guided USC to a touchdown and drew USC back to 20-17 with 12:57 left in the game when Morton scored from two yards out in the new goal-line offense that features 6-5, 330-pound offensive lineman Faaesea Mailo at fullback.

Van Raaphorst went to the Trojan freshman receivers on the drive, using Kareem Kelly and Steve Stevenson to cover 80 yards in four plays with the help of a 15-yard penalty against Oregon for a late hit.