Injuries Altering Lineup

As expected, injuries will force a number of changes to USC’s lineup against Oregon today.

Matt Nickels and Keary Colbert are listed as starters at receiver. Kareem Kelly, who leads the team in catches, is expected to get significant playing time after sitting out last week’s game because of thigh and ankle injuries.

Kevin Arbet and Darrell Rideaux will start at the cornerback positions, Arbet replacing Kris Richard, who is expected to play sparingly because of a sore knee.

Center Eric Denmon is out because of a sprained ankle. Left guard Lenny Vandermade will snap the ball and Trevor Roberts will fill his spot. Defensive lineman Bobby DeMars will not play.

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It goes without saying that USC is looking for revenge after close losses in Eugene the last two seasons.

The stakes are more personal for quarterback Carson Palmer, who has a bruised shoulder but wants badly to play against the Ducks, against whom he suffered a broken collarbone last September.

“This is a huge game,” he said. “This is the team that took me out.”

On the opposite sideline, Oregon defensive line coach Steve Greatwood will be facing the school that fired him last winter. Greatwood coached USC’s offensive line in 1999 and received some criticism for the group’s inconsistent play.

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Though Oregon ranks atop the conference in total defense--allowing 262 yards and 14 points a game--the USC offense is relieved it doesn’t have to face the troublesome flex scheme that Arizona employed last week.

“This is a more conventional team,” Coach Paul Hackett said. “They create problems, but they’re not totally foreign.”

So the offense did not have to work quite as hard at recognizing defensive alignments in practice this week.

“They’re lining up with things we’ve seen from our own defense,” fullback Charlie Landrigan said. “It’s more like second nature.”

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* Time: 12:30 p.m.

* Site: Coliseum.

* TV: Channel 7.

* Radio: XTRA (690).

* When USC has the ball: The Trojans cannot afford a repeat of last week’s game in which Carson Palmer was sacked five times and hit on numerous other occasions. Keeping the quarterback safe means running and mixing in short pass patterns. “Carson knows he can’t hold the ball,” receiver Kareem Kelly said. “The main thing for Carson not getting sacked is our guys getting open.” Though Oregon is known for its rush defense, the Ducks rank 10th in the nation against the pass, surrendering 158.4 yards a game. They have been effective largely because of middle linebacker Matt Smith, defensive end Saul Patu and the return of cornerback Rashad Bauman, who missed the 1999 season because of a knee injury.

* When Oregon has the ball: The success of tailback Maurice Morris has allowed Oregon to be conservative with quarterback Joey Harrington. Though he has completed only 47% of his passes, Harrington has not thrown an interception since the second game of the season. “Joey continues to be a winner,” Coach Mike Bellotti said. “There are certainly things he can get better at, but I’m pleased so far with his performance.” Harrington has two receivers, Keenan Howry and Marshaun Tucker, who are capable of testing a USC secondary that is still trying to find the right combination of players. The Trojans rank fourth in defense in the Pac-10.

* Key to the game: USC has faltered because of slow starts, penalties and turnovers. The Trojans were upbeat in practice this week but losing is never good for confidence. Translation: They cannot afford to fall behind early to an Oregon team that has shown the ability to control games with a steady running attack and stingy defense.

* Fast fact: Today’s game marks the first time USC has played an Oregon team that is ranked in the top 10. The Trojans are 1-3 when Oregon is ranked in the top 20. Maybe they can take hope from another statistic: Despite a 4-1 record, the Ducks have yet to win on the road this season.

* Line: Oregon by 2.

HOW THEY COMPARE

USC and Oregon

23.2 Scoring 30.6

21 Points allowed 14.6

260.6 Passing 219.6

125.8 Rushing 194.2

386.4 Total offense 413.8

183.2 Passing defense 158.4

117.6 Rushing defense 104.0

300.8 Total defense 262.4