Fashionably late won’t do

Oregon’s football team has not ventured into the Coliseum in more than six years, so USC fans in tonight’s homecoming crowd at the sold-out stadium might not recognize the Ducks on several fronts.

Oregon, with help from a certain Beaverton, Ore.-based sports apparel behemoth, plays into the intrigue with multiple uniform combinations.

Early this week, when asked which ensemble his No. 21-ranked team would wear against No. 7 USC, Oregon Coach Mike Bellotti said, “Stay tuned. I’m still working on that.”

No such sartorial mystery surrounds USC, but one question looms as the Trojans begin the most challenging stretch of their schedule:

Which USC team will show up?

Two weeks ago, the Trojans put themselves in a Bowl Championship Series hole by giving up the ball four times on turnovers and surrendering a punt return for a touchdown in a 33-31 upset loss at Oregon State, which held off a fourth-quarter USC rally.

USC rebounded with a 42-0 win over Stanford but assessing improvement was difficult against the winless Cardinal.

Now, with the Rose Bowl and possibly more in play, the Trojans put their 30-game home winning streak on the line against an Oregon team that turned the ball over and got whacked in road losses at California and Washington State.

The Ducks are the first of three ranked opponents the Trojans will play consecutively before their regular-season finale Dec. 2 against UCLA at the Rose Bowl. Eighth-ranked California visits the Coliseum next week, No. 9 Notre Dame the week after.

Quarterback John David Booty is glad the tough stretch comes at the end of the season.

“If that had happened to us our first three or four games, I don’t know that we’d have been as prepared for what we’re about to face,” he said.

USC is seventh in the BCS standings, but Rutgers’ victory over previously unbeaten Louisville on Thursday once again fogged the postseason picture.

If the Trojans win the rest of their games, they could be in position for the coveted No. 2 spot and a third consecutive BCS title-game appearance.

“It’s down to the very end and we know we have a shot,” Booty said before Louisville lost. “Early in the year, you believe that and hope for that, but you really don’t know until later on in the year that it’s actually a possibility.”

USC, however, cannot afford to look past Oregon. The Ducks lead the Pacific 10 Conference in rushing and total offense with a spread attack that features quarterback Dennis Dixon, running back Jonathan Stewart and receiver Jaison Williams.

Dixon, a 6-foot-4, 196-pound junior, is third in the conference in total offense and averages nearly 40 yards rushing a game.

“He’s not a big, strong kid, but a very nifty, quick kid, one that has acceleration and he uses that to escape,” USC Coach Pete Carroll said.

Stewart has rushed for more than 100 yards five times this season and is averaging six yards a carry. Jeremiah Johnson also averages six yards a carry.

USC’s defense, which is No. 1 against the run in the Pac-10, hopes to neutralize the Ducks with speed.

Middle linebacker Rey Maualuga, who shares playing time with Oscar Lua, said Cal’s 45-24 victory over the Ducks on Oct. 7 might have provided a blueprint for success, especially for a USC linebacker corps that features Keith Rivers and Dallas Sartz.

“Cal has speed and was quick enough to catch them and have tackles for losses,” Maualuga said. “I feel our speed will be quick enough to stop them if they try to run outside.”

The Trojans must also be patient, according to Rivers.

“Being fast helps you in one way, but in another way, if you don’t play your responsibility, you can get burned” by over-pursuing plays, he said.

Booty, meanwhile, will operate against an Oregon defense that usually features two linebackers and five defensive backs.

“It can be weird at times; you just have to keep your eyes up, really go through your progressions and try to have the best idea of what they’re doing and what’s going on,” Booty said. “The big thing is not to force the issue.”

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gary.klein@latimes.com