Tailback Green gets his chance and runs with it

PULLMAN, Wash. -- USC tailback Broderick Green made the most of his opportunity.

With Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford unavailable because of injuries, the redshirt freshman from Arkansas vaulted to No. 3 on the depth chart for Saturday’s game against Washington State.

Green did not get onto the field until about six minutes remained in the second quarter, but he finished with a team-best 121 yards rushing and two touchdowns in 18 carries as the Trojans routed the Cougars, 69-0.

Junior Stafon Johnson and sophomore C.J. Gable also ran for more than 100 yards as the Trojans amassed 362 of their 625 yards on the ground.

It marked the first time since 1977 that USC had three 100-yard rushers in one game. Charles White, Dwight Ford and Mosi Tatupu accomplished the feat 31 years ago against Stanford.

“I couldn’t hit it right off the bat, I had to kind of get in the flow, but as the game got going the [offensive] line, receivers and fullbacks, they had great blocks and they made holes for me and I ran through untouched,” said Green, who scored on runs of one and 18 yards in the fourth quarter.

Coach Pete Carroll said it was good to see the 6-foot-2, 235-pound Green “rumbling.”

“It’s an exciting style to add with the other guys that we have,” Carroll said. “He brings it and he’s good in the open field as well.”

Johnson finished with 112 yards in 11 carries, Gable 109 yards and three touchdowns in 16 carries.

“It felt like a high school game when you get all the carries,” Gable said of the increased workload.

Johnson said he suffered a thigh bruise early in the game on a punt return, which later slowed him on a 41-yard run that ended with his being tackled from behind short of the end zone.

“I was just running and I saw daylight,” Johnson said. “I cut back and then I was lifting one leg and the other one wasn’t lifting like it was supposed to.

“I didn’t even feel [the pursuer] or I would have dove.”

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Cause for concern

Carroll said he felt uncomfortable as the score mounted against the Cougars, who gave up at least 63 points for the fourth time.

The Trojans played reserves through most of the second half but still recorded their largest shutout victory since a 69-0 win over Montana in 1931.

“I didn’t know what to do,” Carroll said. “I wanted us to play football. I wanted to leave our guys out there to get their playing time and get well and get right and I wanted everyone to play.

“All those things happened, but I was just concerned. I didn’t want the score to go up any higher than it had to.”

Washington State, which had only 116 yards and four first downs, never came close to scoring. With quarterback Kevin Lopina coming off a back injury, the Cougars rarely passed.

“A huge goal was to come out of the game healthy,” Washington State Coach Paul Wulff said. “We wanted to do everything we could to shorten the game and protect our quarterback.”

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McCoy scores

Tight end Anthony McCoy nimbly broke several tackles en route to a touchdown on a 21-yard pass play in the second quarter.

“The first guy, I didn’t see coming,” said the 6-5, 255-pound McCoy. “After I got spun around, I saw Patrick [Turner] making a block on the perimeter so I figured I’d go around his block and it led me to the end zone.”

It was only McCoy’s fifth reception this season. Asked if he thought the play would bring more passes his way, he said: “Hopefully. Maybe that will change. But if they want me to block more, I’ll block. If they want to start throwing me the ball, then I’m going to catch it for them. Whatever I can to help us get a vic- tory.”

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Quick kicks

Cornerback Cary Harris played sparingly because of a sore hamstring. Defensive end Gerald Washington suffered an ankle sprain. . . . Safety Will Harris intercepted a pass. Cornerback Josh Pinkard forced a fumble and recovered another. . . . USC gave up 116 yards, the fewest since allowing 113 against Colorado in 2002. . . . The crowd of 25,118 was the smallest the Trojans have played before since the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl, where 22,385 saw Utah defeat them, 10-6.

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gary.klein@latimes.com

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UP NEUSC

(5-1, 3-1)

vs. Arizona

(5-2, 3-1)

Saturday, 7:15 p.m.

Fox Sports

A few weeks ago, this game was shaping up to be a matchup between ranked teams, but that was before Arizona’s loss to Stanford. The Wildcats rebounded Saturday night with a 42-27 victory over No. 25 California. Quarterback Willie Tuitama and receiver Mike Thomas lead an offense that averages 40 points a game. USC has posted consecutive shutouts, but the Trojans don’t control their Pacific 10 Conference destiny if Oregon State wins out.

-- Gary Klein

XT