Strother Earns His Stripes : USC: He takes over for injured running back Royster, proves he belongs by fueling victory.

PULLMAN, Wash. —  After rushing for 132 yards in USC’s 30-14 victory over Oregon two weeks ago, Trojan tailback Mazio Royster said it was an insult to his ability to have to share time with sophomore tailback Deon Strother.

“That’s the mentality I have to have,” Royster said. “It wasn’t meant to be a derogatory thing. That’s the mind-set I have to have as a USC tailback. You have to want to go out there and dominate the game.”

Strother, who rooms with Royster on the road, said he wasn’t offended by Royster’s comments.

“It didn’t hurt me at all,” Strother said. “To be a great back you have to be hungry for the ball. You can’t be a great back and not want the ball. That’s the type of mentality you have to have.”

But Royster might have to change his attitude after Strother’s performance in the Trojans’ 34-27 victory over Washington State on Saturday.

Taking over in the second half after Royster suffered a sprained neck, Strother threw for a touchdown and ran for another as the Trojans overcame a 21-10 second-quarter deficit.

Strother ran for 122 yards in 22 carries, including a three-yard touchdown. He also threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to flanker Larry Wallace to give USC a 24-21 lead in the third quarter.

“We had run that play all week,” Strother said. “I was just waiting for Coach (Larry Smith) to call it. I had the confidence that I could do it. I just threw it--he was wide open.

“When they first introduced the halfback pass (in practice), Mazio was to throw it. But every chance I got, I’d practice my throwing. I’d throw the ball to the manager.”

Royster appeared on his way to a 200-yard game after gaining 113 in the first half, including touchdown runs of 29 yards and one yard. But he was injured when he fell to the turf face first after he was tackled by a defender on the Trojans’ final series of the first half.

“I thought I could play in the second half, but it stung real bad,” Royster said. “I got a massage at halftime and put a hot pack on. I thought I could compete, but my first carry in the second half I fell and I got the whiplash effect and it was the same sort of pain I felt when I first hurt it.”

Royster was disappointed that he had to leave after carrying only once in the second half.

“I felt my first half was very incomplete,” Royster said. “I should have made a lot more people miss. I really wanted to come out in the second half and establish myself as a great back and not an average back.”

With the emergence of Strother, Smith said he might alternate Strother and Royster during next Saturday’s game against Stanford at the Coliseum.

“I think (alternating Strother and Royster) is a very distinct possibility,” Smith said. “We’re going to keep going with tailback by committee if we have to.”

Royster began the season as the starting tailback, but he was replaced by Strother after suffering a knee injury during the Trojans’ season-opening 24-10 loss to Memphis State. Strother started at tailback in USC’s 21-10 victory over Penn State and they split time in the Trojans’ 32-23 loss against Arizona State. But Royster seemed to have secured the starting job after rushing for 111 yards in the second half against Oregon.

However, it is going to be difficult to keep Strother on the bench.

“I just leave (playing time) up to Coach Smith,” Strother said. “I don’t even think about that. I’m just here to do whatever they ask of me.”

The Trojans, who had a season-high 301 yards rushing, had two running backs over 100 yards in a game for the first time since last season’s 30-17 victory over Washington State, when Royster rushed for a career-high 203 yards and Scott Lockwood gained 102 yards.

“Last year a star was born against Washington State and I think this year another star was born against Washington State,” Royster said of Strother. “He came into his own today.”

After Trojan safety Mike Salmon recovered tight end Clarence Williams’ fumble at the Washington State 30 at the end of the third quarter, Strother carried five times for 30 yards and ended the drive with a three-yard touchdown run to give USC a 31-21 lead with 13:41 left in the final quarter. Strother carried 16 times for 99 yards during the fourth quarter.