McCullough Sits Out Practice

Sultan McCullough stood to the side at practice Monday, his abdominal muscles so sore he could not participate, even in light stretching and jogging.

“It’s been hurting since the first game,” the USC tailback said. “Every week I go through the same thing.”

Except the injury flared up last week, and McCullough ran only a few plays against Arizona State. He will see a specialist this morning and take the next few days off, leaving him questionable for Notre Dame.

Converted fullback Sunny Byrd will line up with the first team, backed by Darryl Poston and Chris Howard. Chad Pierson, returning from a back injury, will get a look. Coach Pete Carroll is even considering switching former tailback Frank Strong, now a linebacker, back to his old position.

“We’ve got to do whatever we’ve got to do,” Carroll said.

The coach is familiar with abdominal problems. His son, Brennan, a tight end at Pittsburgh, had surgery for such an injury. McCullough said doctors have told him that his condition may be similar to the one that troubled Laker center Shaquille O’Neal in recent seasons.

Receiver Grant Mattos is undergoing treatment two to three times a day for a sprained knee and is also questionable for Saturday’s game. Carroll said Devin Pitts, D. Hale and Steve Stevenson will compete for playing time at his spot.

Notre Dame Coach Bob Davie was talking about the Irish, who have won two games after an 0-3 start, but he might as well have been describing USC, also trying to rebound from a rough stretch in the early season.

“We’ve kind of made it through, I think, the falling off the cliff part of it, and we can start building and start getting better,” he said. “I’m looking at what we’re doing, and I can see some improvement.”

As for USC, Davie said his team should respect players such as quarterback Carson Palmer, receiver Kareem Kelly, no matter what the Trojans’ record might be. “USC is never going to be short on talent,” he said.

A tribute to the late USC Coach John McKay, postponed because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, has been rescheduled for Nov. 13 at 2:30 p.m.

The memorial service will be held at Bovard Auditorium and will feature appearances by Pat Haden, Marv Goux and McKay’s family. The public is welcome on a first-come, first-seated basis.

USC’s game at Arizona on Oct. 27 will begin at 3:30 p.m. and be televised by Channel 9.