Mike Van Raaphorst

New USC Coach Paul Hackett's early pick for No. 1 quarterback is Mike Van Raaphorst, the sophomore who unseated John Fox after seven games last season only to sit out the last two games because of an ankle injury. "Our feeling was, it's very, very close, but we felt Mike's grasp of the things we were doing and the way he handled the huddle was a little ahead of the others," Hackett said.

USC's week of practice after the disaster at Notre Dame has been more upbeat than one might expect. "The guys came out and practiced well," quarterback Mike Van Raaphorst said. "It's never been a problem giving 100%. We just need to execute better in the second half." A couple of practices ended with the "fourth-quarter drill," a grueling session that includes push-ups, somersaults and crawling on all fours. "I like it. It toughens you up," tailback Chad Morton said. "It's a hard drill.

It's not the only question of USC's preseason, but it sure is the biggest. "I can't go to the grocery store without being asked, 'Who's going to be your quarterback?' " Coach John Robinson said. With Brad Otton gone, the Trojans will open fall practice today with no heir apparent and three candidates--sophomores Quincy Woods and John Fox and redshirt freshman Mike Van Raaphorst. Woods has thrown three passes in his career, completing one.

Nice young man, that Mike Van Raaphorst. Going to do well in life. Too bad his football career is more or less over. Or so it seemed until Carson Palmer lowered his shoulder against Oregon and made Van Raaphorst USC's starting quarterback again. With the crack of a collarbone, USC's season is in Van Raaphorst's hands, ready or not.

UCLA is No. 2 in the nation but the Bruins aren't even USC Coach Paul Hackett's pick for No. 1 in the Pacific 10 Conference. Bulletin board material be damned, he repeatedly has given the nod to Oregon. "Now we have to go up and play against what I think is the best team in the conference," Hackett said. "They don't turn the ball over against UCLA, they win the game handily. To me, that is the team to beat." Uh, Coach, did you mean to say that?

Only way to describe USC's second-half collapse during the 32-31 humiliating loss to Cal: Coach Hackett's Offense Keeps Evaporating! TOMMY CHENG, Torrance College is supposed to be a learning experience. So what did we all learn after USC's debacle? 1. Mike Van Raaphorst has a JV arm; 2. Frank Strong can't block and has hands of glass; 3. the offensive line is offensive; 4. no more need to ask why Billy Miller and Antoine Harris don't have more receptions; 5. Larry Parker should play in a straitjacket; 6. brain-dead penalties will kill you every time; 7. a defensive game plan of leaving the middle of the field and the flats uncovered doesn't work; 8. with seven seconds left on the clock and the ball on the one-yard line, it's OK to run one more play; 9. the officiating can't get any worse, and 10. you can lose at home to an inferior team even when leading by 21 points.

KEY PLAYERS LOST (Player: P) Brian Kelly: CB Jonathan Himebauch: C Delon Washington: TB Jim Wren: P Chris Brymer: OG KEY NEWCOMERS *--* P No. Player Yr. QB 15 Carson Palmer Fr. RB 24 Frank Strong Fr. WR 86 Windrell Hayes Jr. OT 72 Matt Welch Jr. *--* THE LINEUPS PROBABLE LINEUPS OFFENSE *--* P No. Player Yr. SE 3 Billy Miller Sr. LT 68 Brent McCaffrey So. LG 79 Jason Grain Jr. C 50 Eric Denmon So. RG 71 Travis Claridge Jr. RT 72 Matt Welch Jr. TE 81 Antoine Harris So.

The Trojans figure they know what's coming Saturday against Washington, a team that leads the Pacific 10 Conference in sacks with 43. "They pressure the quarterback," Mike Van Raaphorst said. "Justin Vedder from Cal, they absolutely punished him." Van Raaphorst also knows that if the Huskies bring all that pressure, somebody's open. "It's a fun game for a quarterback," he said. Freshman Carson Palmer, the No.

USC will face a hurting Oregon team Saturday in Eugene. The Ducks not only lost to UCLA in overtime Saturday, they found out Sunday they have lost star tailback Reuben Droughns for the season. Droughns broke a bone in his right ankle--officially a fractured lower fibula--and suffered ligament damage when he was hurt during the UCLA game and will require surgery. A junior from Anaheim High, Droughns had been leading the Pacific 10 Conference in rushing and had three 200-yard games this season.

Redshirt freshman Mike Van Raaphorst will make his first start at quarterback Saturday since the 1995 San Diego Section semifinals, but this time his opponent will be No. 7 Washington, not Monte Vista High. "We're starting Mike," USC Coach John Robinson said. "While John [Fox] has done, I think, really well, there have been parts of the game where he's lost his focus. "Mike's getting the start because he's done well. We have two quarterbacks. No one has been demoted."

Even if he knew it in the back of his helmet-less head, even if he stood on the sideline and could figure out he was watching the dawning of the Carson Palmer Era, Mike Van Raaphorst wasn't dead sure until the middle of the third quarter. Even though Palmer started the game Saturday against Washington, Coach Paul Hackett had implied that Van Raaphorst would rotate in for Palmer, the way Palmer rotated in for him during the first eight games.

The Trojans figure they know what's coming Saturday against Washington, a team that leads the Pacific 10 Conference in sacks with 43. "They pressure the quarterback," Mike Van Raaphorst said. "Justin Vedder from Cal, they absolutely punished him." Van Raaphorst also knows that if the Huskies bring all that pressure, somebody's open. "It's a fun game for a quarterback," he said. Freshman Carson Palmer, the No.

UCLA is No. 2 in the nation but the Bruins aren't even USC Coach Paul Hackett's pick for No. 1 in the Pacific 10 Conference. Bulletin board material be damned, he repeatedly has given the nod to Oregon. "Now we have to go up and play against what I think is the best team in the conference," Hackett said. "They don't turn the ball over against UCLA, they win the game handily. To me, that is the team to beat." Uh, Coach, did you mean to say that?

USC will face a hurting Oregon team Saturday in Eugene. The Ducks not only lost to UCLA in overtime Saturday, they found out Sunday they have lost star tailback Reuben Droughns for the season. Droughns broke a bone in his right ankle--officially a fractured lower fibula--and suffered ligament damage when he was hurt during the UCLA game and will require surgery. A junior from Anaheim High, Droughns had been leading the Pacific 10 Conference in rushing and had three 200-yard games this season.

Only way to describe USC's second-half collapse during the 32-31 humiliating loss to Cal: Coach Hackett's Offense Keeps Evaporating! TOMMY CHENG, Torrance College is supposed to be a learning experience. So what did we all learn after USC's debacle? 1. Mike Van Raaphorst has a JV arm; 2. Frank Strong can't block and has hands of glass; 3. the offensive line is offensive; 4. no more need to ask why Billy Miller and Antoine Harris don't have more receptions; 5. Larry Parker should play in a straitjacket; 6. brain-dead penalties will kill you every time; 7. a defensive game plan of leaving the middle of the field and the flats uncovered doesn't work; 8. with seven seconds left on the clock and the ball on the one-yard line, it's OK to run one more play; 9. the officiating can't get any worse, and 10. you can lose at home to an inferior team even when leading by 21 points.

Time: 3:30 p.m. * Site: Coliseum * Records: USC 4-1, Cal 3-1. * TV: Fox Sports West 2 * Radio: XTRA (690) THE OFFENSES * These are not well-oiled machines--or very good advertisements for the West Coast offense. Cal ranks 109th among 112 Division I-A teams in total offense and last in the Pacific 10 at about 256 yards a game--including a paltry 68.5 yards rushing. USC, at about 307 yards a game, ranks 84th in the nation and eighth in the Pac-10.

John Fox has looked solid in the early competition at quarterback, with Quincy Woods seemingly a bit nervous. "I think Quincy really is at his best when he's comfortable," USC Coach John Robinson said. "We put in so much new the first day. Each one of them has problems with certain things, and we're trying not to make judgments on every ball that's thrown. We want to let everybody find their rhythm." Said Woods: "It was shaky yesterday. I liked this practice better." Fox has composure, a good arm and is more versatile than Woods, who is the best scrambler, and redshirt freshman Mike Van Raaphorst, a drop-back passer.

With Coach John Robinson saying he'll name a starting quarterback today and Mike Van Raaphorst still getting more snaps in practice, John Fox was more open about his feelings after declining interviews the day before. "It's just about business. The last three games I haven't played well. They're not playing favorites. It's their decision on how to go," Fox said.

KEY PLAYERS LOST (Player: P) Brian Kelly: CB Jonathan Himebauch: C Delon Washington: TB Jim Wren: P Chris Brymer: OG KEY NEWCOMERS *--* P No. Player Yr. QB 15 Carson Palmer Fr. RB 24 Frank Strong Fr. WR 86 Windrell Hayes Jr. OT 72 Matt Welch Jr. *--* THE LINEUPS PROBABLE LINEUPS OFFENSE *--* P No. Player Yr. SE 3 Billy Miller Sr. LT 68 Brent McCaffrey So. LG 79 Jason Grain Jr. C 50 Eric Denmon So. RG 71 Travis Claridge Jr. RT 72 Matt Welch Jr. TE 81 Antoine Harris So.

Ready or not, a player's moment will arrive in its own good time. Mike Van Raaphorst's moment came last November, in front of 73,000 at Husky Stadium. A redshirt freshman who had attempted only seven passes in his college career, there he was, starting for USC against No. 7 Washington. Ready or not. "It was a little nerve-racking," Van Raaphorst said.