USC Eager to Bounce Back Against Cardinal

Finally, a game.

After a week of soothing their wounds, defending their conduct and reassessing their season, after seven days of charges and countercharges concerning their bitter defeat at Notre Dame and the brawl that preceded it, the USC Trojans get a chance to take their frustrations out to the field when they return to the Coliseum today to play Stanford at 3:30 p.m.

Just what the Cardinal needs. Deep into its own season of frustration, Stanford finds itself facing a team that figures to be chomping at the bit and looking for revenge after a painful knockdown.

This was a season that began with high hopes for Stanford, before the roof caved in.

Figuratively and literally.

Although Stanford was coming off a 3-6-2 season, the hiring of Dennis Green, former San Francisco 49er assistant, as coach created excitement and optimism on campus.

Then came the losses, both on the field and on the roster.

Among the injured are:

--Running back Jon Volpe. All-Pac-10 last season, he remains out with a sprained ankle, suffered in Stanford’s second game.

--Anticipated starter Charlie Young, another running back. He suffered a knee injury in spring practice and is out for the season.

--Halfback J.J. Lasley. Having sprained a knee a month ago, he may play today, but won’t start.

--Linebacker Rob Hinckley. Bothered by a lower back problem, he has been at full strength in only one game. He’s questionable today.

--Quarterback Brian Johnson. Suffering from shoulder and knee injuries, he did not make the trip. Although redshirt freshman Steve Smith has started six games for Stanford, Johnson was the starter in the Cardinal’s only victory, an 18-17 win over Oregon.

--Offensive lineman Chris Dalman. He suffered a season-ending neck injury last week.

--Free safety Tony Trousett. He started the first five games before going down with a season-ending knee injury.

--Defensive tackle Lester Archambeau. He will be playing today on a bad knee.

The troubles in the training room were followed by troubles on the field. Stanford has lost three of four conference games, six of seven overall.

“We’ve been in five football games that have come down to the last series of the game,� Green said. “When you play 60 minutes, there’s about two or three minutes where one team or the other has the opportunity to take charge. That’s what we haven’t done and that’s been the most significant thing that has hurt us. A lot of that is experience, a lot of it is learning and a lot of it is developing a certain leadership.�

Todd Marinovich has compensated for his lack of seasoning with talent, surprising maturity and a balanced attack to lead USC to five wins in seven games, a 3-0 record in conference play and to the brink of victory over top-ranked Notre Dame last week in South Bend, Ind. He has come up lacking on occasion, as he did last week where three key passes were intercepted, but he has never lacked for confidence.

Pressure? If Marinovich feels it, he’s a good actor. How many other freshmen would deliberately bump an opposing lineman on the defending national championship team in defiance after throwing a touchdown pass as Marinovich did last week in South Bend?

Smith hasn’t exactly been shy with a ball in his hands, either. He has completed 56.4% of his passes for 1,214 yards and seven touchdowns in Stanford’s pass-oriented attack, but he has also thrown nine interceptions.

“I think Steve has made a significant amount of improvement,� Green said. “He suffers from two things. No. 1 is our inability to have a halfback attack. That could take a lot of pressure off. The other thing is, we haven’t been throwing the ball very much to our halfbacks. That’s put more pressure on our split end, Ed McCaffrey, and I think Steve has forced the ball a little too much. But I think he definitely has a big-time arm.�

Just ask the Irish. Against Notre Dame several weeks ago, Smith threw 68 passes, a conference record, completing 39.

In USC, Smith will be facing a defense that led the nation against the rush until facing Tony Rice and his friends in South Bend. Although their yardage allowed per game jumped from 36.7 to 69.4 after the Notre Dame game, the Trojans are still third in the nation and best in the conference against the rush.

Among those trying to keep USC off Smith’s back will be freshman offensive lineman Bob Whitfield from Banning High School. The 6-foot-7, 300-pounder has started all seven games and made an impression.

“He’s a whale of a football player,� USC Coach Larry Smith said. “He’ll be an All-American, I’ll tell you right now. He’s big and fast and strong and he does not get beat.�

First the injuries for Stanford, then the losses. And then, the earthquake.

Damage from the Bay Area quake left 15 players, living in a dorm, homeless. They have since found housing.

So has Green, who has been forced to spend several days a week in the Stanford area because of damage to the highway that he normally takes to reach his Santa Cruz home, a home that also suffered some damage.

Trojan Notes

For the record: The letter of apology, promised by Notre Dame officials after last week’s pregame brawl, has yet to arrive at USC. . . . Today’s homecoming game is expected to draw a crowd of about 74,000. . . . Trojan running back Aaron Emanuel, recovering from a shoulder separation, will be available if needed. “The doctors say he could really use another week off,� said Coach Larry Smith. . . . Tailback Scott Lockwood, out since opening night with a dislocated thumb, is not expected to play.