Changes Threatened Over Penalties

Exactly which of USC’s record 21 penalties in the triple-overtime loss to Oregon was the most egregious is open to debate.

There were so many, of course.

The celebration penalty Faaesea Mailo drew for taking his helmet off after USC’s go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter was costly, because then USC flubbed the extra-long point after attempt that could have given them a four-point lead.

“But I think a bad snap’s a bad snap,” Coach Paul Hackett said, laying the blame elsewhere.

The holding penalty that called back Chad Morton’s potential game-winning touchdown was another absolutely crucial one, but Morton said Sunday the team couldn’t find the foul on film.

“We didn’t see the holding. We tried to look to see who was holding,” Morton said. “It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t come down to one play or one missed field goal. We shot ourselves in the foot too many times.”

For the record, USC had six false starts, four pass interference, three offensive holding, two defensive holding, two personal fouls, a face mask, an illegal block, an illegal formation and an unsportsmanlike conduct.

“It’s two demons,” Hackett said. “We’ve got the opponent over there and then we’ve got ourselves. It’s undisciplined and we can’t have it. We have got to clean it up.”

Stupid penalties will earn a spot on the sidelines from here on out, at least for a couple of plays, Hackett said.

“I do not want to make changes, I do not want to reduce playing time, but I’m going to have to do it.”

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David Newbury was almost perfect as USC’s kicker before Saturday night, but now Hackett said he will reconsider the kicking job.

With the pressure against Oregon on his shoulders, Newbury missed three field-goal attempts and watched as Oregon’s third-string kicker won the game with a 27-yarder.

“That’s the rough part, like I say, you’re the hero or the goat. That’s part of my job,” said Newbury, who made a 29-yard field goal in the first half but missed a potential game-winner from 30 yards with two minutes left in regulation and then missed from 51 and 37 yards in overtime.

“I take full responsibility. I feel I let everybody down. The whole team,” Newbury said. “I’ll learn a lot from this. God has reasons. This is going to make me grow up.” The last one, from 37 yards, was the killer. “I’ve never felt worse about a kick,” Newbury said. “I didn’t give the ball a chance.

“Their fans were yelling constantly; it was so loud I couldn’t think. But it’s part of my job. When I decided to come here, I accepted that. It’s disappointing because those guys played their hearts out.”

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Charlie Landrigan will start at fullback instead of Brennan Ochs next week, Hackett said.