COLLEGE FOOTBALL / WEEK 2 : USC : Arbet’s Career Starts With Unique Situation

Only a few weeks ago, cornerback Kevin Arbet was a freshman walk-on slated for an anonymous career of special-teams duty.

On Saturday, Arbet pulled off a remarkable feat, starting for USC as the fifth defensive back in the Trojans’ nickel defense because of injuries to Darrell Rideaux and Tanqueray Clark.

“I am stunned,” Coach Paul Hackett said. “What a story.”

The plot had a twist, however. Arbet hobbled off after only a few plays to have his right ankle attended to and appeared to be done for the night.

Arbet, who is from Stockton, managed an almost unheard-of accomplishment simply by winning a scholarship after training camp. But, now, to start his first game as a freshman after arriving at USC unrecruited?

“Obviously it’s due to injuries, but we felt he deserved the opportunity to play based on what he did in training camp,” secondary coach Dennis Thurman said.

USC record-keepers won’t count Arbet’s debut as an official start because it is a “situational start” in the nickel package.

But Arbet and the USC coaches counted it for plenty.

“That’s a heck of a responsibility,” Thurman said. “We were going to start Eric [Reese], but right now we feel Kevin has performed on a consistent basis.

“He’s proven he’s beyond his years as far as his preparation as a football player.”

One reason is the influence of Arbet’s stepfather, Jeff Simmons, a former USC receiver who finished his career in 1982.

“He knows what USC football is all about,” Thurman said. “His dad has drilled him pretty good. He’s wise beyond his years.”

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Clark, who sprained his left ankle in practice Thursday, dressed for the game. Rideaux, originally ruled out because of a sore back, dressed for the game, but was not wearing pads.