JuJu Smith-Schuster impresses USC teammates with gritty effort

USC receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster got the second-quarter play call, lined up to the right and eyed Arizona’s defensive alignment.

He spied a safety close to the line of scrimmage. Also a cornerback.

“When I saw that, I was like, ‘OK, this is a touchdown; all I’ve got to do is catch the ball,’” Smith-Schuster said.

One problem: Smith-Schuster was only five days removed from surgery on his right hand, which was fitted with a plate and a screw and was now encased in a soft cast.

The sophomore had caught a few passes in the game, but nothing close to this long.

So Smith-Schuster improvised. He beat the defenders and ran free down the middle of the field, hauling in quarterback Cody Kessler’s long pass with his left hand, and then cradling the ball with his right en route to a spectacular 72-yard scoring play.

That was the highlight-reel moment of the game for Smith-Schuster, who inspired teammates and former Trojans players alike with his gritty eight-catch performance in the 38-30 victory on Saturday night.

“It’s a marvel he was able to play like that,” said Keyshawn Johnson, a 1995 All-American receiver for the Trojans and three-time NFL Pro Bowl player.

USC coaches and players were still processing Smith-Schuster’s performance this week as USC began preparations for Friday night’s Pac-12 Conference game at Colorado.

“Obviously, he’s a freak of nature to go out there and do what he did,” interim Coach Clay Helton said.

Said sophomore receiver Steven Mitchell Jr.: “JuJu is a warrior. That’s what we expect from him.”

Smith-Schuster’s performance increased his team-leading reception total to 60 catches, nine for touchdowns. He has averaged 121.6 yards receiving per game, which ranks fourth nationally.

“All of the balls that I caught [against Arizona] were mostly just trying to body catch it,” he said Tuesday. “I couldn’t run with the ball in my right hand, so I used my left hand all the time.

“Instead of juking and everything, just boom, go upfield.”

After the game, Smith-Schuster said he had cried the first night after surgery because he was in so much pain.

He said Tuesday that he was trying to set a good example by playing, citing teammates such as Mitchell, receiver Darreus Rogers and linebacker Su’a Cravens as others playing through injuries.

“A lot of freshmen look up to me like, ‘Dang, you’re crazy. I don’t know how you do it,’” Smith-Schuster said.

Freshman receiver Deontay Burnett is among them.

“It has an immediate impact because the team sees him out there giving up his body for us,” Burnett said. “So it’s going to make us go even harder trying to make plays.”

Smith-Schuster and his fellow receivers are preparing for a game that is expected to be played in temperatures that could dip into the 20s. Tough conditions for any player, especially one trying to catch the ball with a hand cast.

“It’s going to be a different environment, very difficult,” Smith-Schuster said. “But I’m going to play through it.”

That comes as no surprise after last week’s events.

Smith-Schuster suffered a fracture during the Trojans’ Oct. 31 victory at California. He had surgery two days later, putting in doubt his availability against Arizona.

Kessler called him that night.

“He got the plate in his hand and I called him and said ‘Are you good? Are you playing?’” Kessler said. “He said, ‘I’m going. There’s nothing keeping me out of this game.’

“I told him he should be smart and kind of take a step back and see how it feels. I was like, ‘You’ve got a future to worry about.’

“That kid’s just a warrior. He came out and made explosive plays and made an impact on the game.”

Helton did not waste any time seeing if Smith-Schuster could contribute. USC’s first play was a quick pass to Smith-Schuster, who got tangled up with a defensive back and was forced to catch the ball with his left hand.

“I just put my left hand out there where I thought it was going to be and just brought it in,” he said.

Smith-Schuster caught three passes in the first quarter, but the Trojans trailed, 14-0.

In the second quarter, on third-and-goal from the eight yard-line, a pass to Smith-Schuster bounced off his hands, forcing the Trojans to settle for a field goal.

“I was like probably standing three yards away from Cody and he threw a bullet,” Smith-Schuster said, laughing. “I was like, ‘C’mon Cody.’ He knew it too. We went to the sideline and it was like ‘Yeah, I got you next time.’”

They did not have to wait long.

USC intercepted a pass on the ensuing series, and Helton called Smith-Schuster’s number, electrifying the Trojans on their way to a comeback victory that kept them in the hunt for the Pac-12 South title.

Smith-Schuster left the field because of a leg cramp in the third quarter but returned later in the game, catching a key third-down pass on the Trojans’ final scoring drive.

This week, Smith-Schuster has run pass routes but has only caught balls tossed to him by graduate assistant coaches.

He went through Monday’s workout with a set of gloves hanging from his facemask and another pair tucked in the back of his socks. He ran the length of the field and chest-bumped receivers after good plays and jawed good-naturedly with defensive backs.

On Tuesday, he continued to run shadow routes and take mental reps behind other receivers.

“You literally have to take the guy’s helmet away from him to make him stop,” said Helton, who indicated that Smith-Schuster would begin catching passes Thursday.

Smith-Schuster plans to be in the lineup Friday.

“Just try to play with the pain,” he said.

gary.klein@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimesklein

Staff writer David Wharton contributed to this report.