Defense Gets Some Bad News With Injuries

Euphoria gave way to concern at USC on Sunday as Coach Pete Carroll pondered a defense that will be without two starters for the top-ranked Trojans’ next game against No. 24 Oregon and possibly longer.

Cornerback Terrell Thomas suffered what is probably a season-ending knee injury and linebacker Dallas Sartz suffered a dislocated shoulder during USC’s 70-17 victory over Arkansas on Saturday night.

Asked if Thomas, a redshirt sophomore, would be lost for the season after tearing knee ligaments, Carroll said by phone, “It looks as if that’s the case.”

Thomas’ injury further complicates a depth issue at cornerback that resulted when starter Eric Wright was suspended by USC amid legal problems in March. Wright left school in June and transferred to Nevada Las Vegas.

Senior John Walker will start in Thomas’ spot in the Pacific 10 Conference opener against Oregon. The Ducks (3-0) are led by quarterback Kellen Clemens, who passed for 332 yards and four touchdowns in a 37-34 comeback victory over Fresno State.

Freshmen Kevin Thomas and Cary Harris will back up Walker and Justin Wyatt after playing in the second half against Arkansas.

“They got through their first game,” said Carroll, whose team plays four of its next five games on the road. “They did all right.”

Carroll is hoping that junior college transfer Mozique McCurtis, who had abdominal surgery in August, will be able to practice soon. He said the coaching staff would evaluate during the week before deciding whether to use other players in the secondary. Senior wide receiver William Buchanon started three games at cornerback in 2002. Junior flanker Steve Smith also was an outstanding defensive back in high school.

Sophomore Thomas Williams will start in place of Sartz, a senior who is the Trojans’ most experienced defensive player. Carroll said he did not know how long Sartz would be out.

Williams had a tackle for a loss and broke up a pass against Arkansas. With Brian Cushing out because of a dislocated shoulder, senior Collin Ashton and walk-on Clay Matthews, a redshirt freshman, also will work at the strong-side spot.

Carroll said sophomore safety Josh Pinkard played well in Darnell Bing’s place against Arkansas but that Bing would probably return this week from a hip injury and start against Oregon.

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After the Arkansas victory, which featured four first-quarter touchdowns in 1 minute 32 seconds of possession time, offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said, “We’d love to score on the first play of every drive.”

But Kiffin allowed that the Trojans also benefited from their 85-yard, 16-play drive in the second quarter that took more than seven minutes to complete.

“It’s good to have a drive like that because you’re going to need those at some point,” Kiffin said. “We all know every game is not going to go like that. There’s going to be a game that in the fourth quarter we’re going to have to establish a drive that takes awhile, runs some clock off, so it was very good that happened.”

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Reggie Bush has the marquee name and speed, but Desmond Reed is a national leader, averaging 44.7 yards per kickoff return.

Reed returned a first-quarter kickoff 51 yards and a fourth-quarter kickoff 50 yards against Arkansas. Bush aided Reed on his first return by delivering a crunching block. Bush said it was the most exciting part of a game in which he scored the first two times he touched the ball.

“The little things to me are the biggest things,” Bush said. “Going out and making a big block like that for Desmond, who’s always out there making blocks for me. Just to be able to return the favor to him makes me feel good.”

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USC remained No. 1 in the Associated Press poll for the 22nd consecutive poll, eclipsing the record set by Miami from 2001-2002. USC received 57 of 65 first-place votes. ... Kicker Mario Danelo established a school record by kicking 10 extra points. ... The 70 points scored by USC were the most allowed by Arkansas since 1918, when the Razorbacks lost to Oklahoma, 103-0. The Trojans’ 736 yards were the most Arkansas has ever allowed.