Freshman Wall Kicks Newbury Out of Job

After watching David Newbury miss two field-goal attempts in the first half--giving him three consecutive misses in the last two games--Coach Paul Hackett could not watch anymore.

“I gave him every opportunity possible,” he said. “David Newbury was not able to step up to the task.”

So after insisting all week that he was sticking by the junior kicker, Hackett called on freshman John Wall in the second half. And Wall drew the loudest cheer of the day when he made a 27-yard field goal, his first college attempt, in the third quarter.

Though Wall had an extra point blocked at the end of the game, Hackett is apparently sold on the new guy.

“We will go with John Wall for the rest of the season,” he said.

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Receiver Marcell Allmond broke the tibia in his left leg, an injury that will require three months to heal, team doctors said.

Allmond was hurt on a freak play in the fourth quarter, running into a fallen Arizona defender after teammate Keary Colbert had caught a pass. USC was already without its top receiver, Kareem Kelly, who has battled a sore quadriceps and ankle for several weeks.

Two other Trojans were hurt. Center Eric Denmon sprained an ankle and will be reevaluated early in the week. Safety Ifeanyi Ohalete also sprained his ankle, but the injury is thought to be less severe.

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The disorganization that is sometimes evident among the Trojans took all of 27 seconds to surface Saturday.

That 75-yard touchdown pass from Arizona’s Ortege Jenkins to Bobby Wade to start the game? The one where Wade took advantage of one-on-one coverage from Kris Richard?

USC admitted that there were players who should have been blitzing on the play, but weren’t. And linebacker Markus Steele admitted one of those players was him.

“We went over it on the sideline, but then there was confusion,” defensive tackle Ennis Davis said. “We have to get on the same page.”

Steele admirably confessed, “I was a guy who didn’t blitz. I was more worried about the shovel pass. I forgot what I was supposed to do. There would have been a different outcome if I had blitzed.”

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The Trojans played musical chairs with their cornerbacks Saturday.

Kevin Arbet started on the right side in place of Darrell Rideaux, who has struggled this season. After Richard, the veteran of the unit, was burned on the 75-yard pass in the first quarter, he came out for a while.

After that, USC used various combinations of Arbet, Rideaux, Richard and junior college transfer Chris Cash.