Harris Catches Their Eye

After several weeks of juggling receivers because of injuries, USC appears to have settled on a starting combination.

Freshman Keary Colbert will replace Marcell Allmond, out for the season because of a broken leg. Kareem Kelly, who missed time because of a sore thigh, has recovered and is characteristically confident.

“It’s great to have him back,” quarterback Carson Palmer said. “He was telling me he’s really feeling good.”

But perhaps the biggest news among the receiving corps is the play of Antoine Harris, who has 11 receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns in the first six games. That is better than the senior tight end did in all of last season.

Even Coach Paul Hackett expressed surprise that Harris, who had a reputation for dropping passes earlier in his career, has become a go-to guy. The transformation was evident last week when Palmer threw a touchdown pass to him in tight coverage.

“I told myself I’m not going to drop any balls,” Harris said. “It’s just giving me more confidence knowing my quarterback believes in me.”

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The announcement that Randy Fasani will start at quarterback for Stanford was not good news for USC.

While the junior was recovering from surgery for a strained ligament and torn cartilage in his left knee, his sophomore replacement, Chris Lewis, was throwing for two touchdowns and five interceptions over the last three games.

Not only has Fasani been deemed physically ready to play, but Hackett figures he will be mentally ready, too.

“He’ll inspire them,” the coach said. “And we’ll have our hands full.”

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Sophomores Darrell Rideaux and Kevin Arbet will start at the cornerback spots for the injury-racked USC secondary. Redshirt sophomore DeShaun Hill will once again replace the injured Ifeanyi Ohalete at free safety.

“When you lose veteran players, you have to move young guys out there,” Hackett said. “We’re young, we’re inexperienced and it is a dilemma.”

On the defensive line, tackle Ryan Nielsen and end Lonnie Ford missed practice this week but are expected to play.

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* Time: 12:30 p.m.

* Site: Stanford Stadium.

* TV: Channel 7.

* Radio: XTRA (690).

* When USC has the ball: Could this be the game when Coach Paul Hackett gets adventurous? With a season in the balance and his team at the bottom of the conference standings, Hackett has been musing about fourth-down plays and two-point conversions. All of that sounds good to tailback Malaefou MacKenzie. “We have to try anything right now,” he said. “We’re losing and we have to make things happen.” The Stanford defense, meanwhile, would settle for keeping things simple and cutting down on the mistakes that have left it near the bottom of the conference in almost every statistical category. The Cardinal has talent in defensive tackle Willie Howard, linebacker Riall Johnson and free safety Tank Williams.

* When Stanford has the ball: The red zone might as well be a red light for the Cardinal. “Once we’re in the most critical area of the field . . . we’re not scoring,” Coach Tyrone Willingham said. His team is averaging less than 17 points, fewest in the conference, but the return of quarterback Randy Fasani should help matters. The Trojans are wary of Fasani and his top receiver, DeRonnie Pitts, but also must pay attention to running back Brian Allen, who is coming off solid performances the last two games. The USC defense is injured and mad after three losses. “It’s a matter of using that frustration as a positive,” linebacker Zeke Moreno said. “Take your anger out on the opponent.”

* Key to the game: Neither the Trojans nor the Cardinal have shown the firepower to overcome their mistakes. The offenses have missed too many opportunities and the defenses have surrendered too many quick touchdowns. The team that wins will most likely be the team that doesn’t defeat itself.

* Fast fact: If nothing else, Stanford ranks first among Pac-10 teams in fewest penalties, with less than five a game. USC averages eight, an improvement over last season, when the Trojans were penalized more than 10 times a game for a total of 1,098 yards.

* Line: USC by 5 1/2.

HOW THEY COMPARE

USC and Stanford

22.2 Scoring 16.8

22.2 Points allowed 26.5

249.5 Passing 248.0

143.0 Rushing 129.5

392.5 Total offense 377.5

216.3 Passing defense 218.7

117.5 Rushing defense 148.8

333.8 Total defense 367.5