LOOKING AHEAD : Trojans’ Big Victory Bodes Well for Future if Offense Performs to Defense’s Standard

In the craziness that had taken over the Coliseum football field Saturday night, the Trojan loonies hadn’t yet had time to digest what they’d just seen.

Maybe by now they’ve taken stock of the young team that conquered Notre Dame, and tried to project what happened in the overtime period to 1997. . .and beyond.

For USC partisans, it’s a pretty picture.

Defensively, that is.

If the Trojans next season develop into a major defensive force, the players and coaches can look back to Saturday, Nov. 30, 1996, to 8:39 p.m., when a bunch of impassioned freshmen and sophomores, with perhaps the most important game of their lives on the line, shut down the Notre Dame offense.

It’s best described in cryptic lines on the official play-by-play sheet of Notre Dame’s last offensive series for Lou Holtz, after the Trojans took the lead.

After Ron Powlus completed a six-yard pass to Pete Chryplewicz, it read:

--”Denson carries, loss of 5.

--”Powlus pass incomplete.

--”Powlus pass is batted down, game over. Cusano credited with deflection.”

Mark Cusano is a 225-pound sophomore from Dallas. On the final play he was on a blitz. But he was blocked hard by Notre Dame fullback Jamie Spencer.

At that point, Cusano made a championship play. Stymied by Spencer, he leaped high and batted away a ball that Powlus said would have been a first-down completion.

Game over.

A 14-year winless streak against Notre Dame, over.

Nearly all the Trojan players on the field for that final series return next year. In fact, 19 of the 23 players listed on USC’s defensive two-deep roster Saturday return next year.

The only seniors were defensive end Willie Lowery, tackles Matt Keneley and Anthony Sanford, and linebacker Sammy Knight.

All season, that group had good stats--it finished fourth in the Pacific 10 Conference in total defense and second in pass efficiency defense--but had developed a reputation for second-half and overtime flameouts.

It all turned around on that Notre Dame overtime series. Two plays before Cusano’s finisher, Darrell Russell, Grant Pearsall, Cusano, Chris Claiborne and Daylon McCutcheon--underclassmen all--tackled Autry Denson for a five-yard loss.

The looming question hanging over this unit is Russell. A junior, the 6-5, 300-pounder is looking at perhaps the NFL’s second round if he chooses to come out this spring. When he plays hard, he’s among the best. But there are also times when he appears to be in cruise control.

Much more problematic at this point is the 1997 USC offense.

For starters, no one--including John Robinson--has any idea who will be the quarterback.

Quincy Woods and John Fox will be sophomores, and Mike Van Raaphorst a redshirt freshman. Woods and Fox had a combined five passes this season. Fox and Van Raaphorst are both 6-foot-5, strong-arm types, Woods a sprint-out type, in the style of Rodney Peete.

Running backs Delon Washington, LaVale Woods and Rodney Sermons are juniors, but none are game-breakers.

One answer might be freshman cornerback Chad Morton, who had a spectacular 146-yard night against Oregon State in September. He’s a 185-pounder and maybe the team’s fastest player.

Another who figures here is freshman redshirt Ted Iacenda, a 225-pound power back who was impressive in his only appearance, against Illinois.

And cornerback Daylon McCutcheon is ticketed for spot duty on offense next season as a setback, on selected passing downs.

Tight ends is another urgent recruiting need, with John Allred, Jeff Diltz and Travis Hall departing.

Offensive line coach Mike Barry started two freshmen, a sophomore and two juniors against Notre Dame. One of those freshmen, guard Faaesea Mailo, leaves on a two-year Mormon mission in February.

It took that unit half-a-season to learn how to pass block, during which time Brad Otton took a pounding. But by season’s end, Otton’s protection had improved significantly.

All are back, including redshirts Mike Whitcanack, Joel Sugg and Pat Smith.

In addition, Phalen Pounds, who should have been the star performer of this group, will be back after losing a year because of shoulder surgery.

The Trojans unearthed a nugget at wide receiver this season in R. Jay Soward, who at times played like a miniature Keyshawn Johnson . . . and at other times displayed hands that resembled Ping-Pong paddles.

The same goes for Billy Miller, who was expected to be a premier receiver this season but was benched when he couldn’t hold on to the ball.

Robinson and whoever his assistant coaches are next season need early answers. The Trojans open at the Coliseum against Florida State Sept. 6.