It’s a Rout, Even With Shehee Out

SEATTLE —  Washington tailback Rashaan Shehee, who entered Saturday’s game against USC as the ninth-leading rusher in the nation with an average of 121 yards per game, might be finished for the season after spraining the medial collateral ligament in his left knee Saturday.

Shehee, who had a streak of four consecutive 100-yard rushing games this season and five overall, was injured with 8:47 left in the first quarter.

“We knew he was a big part of their offense, so we knew they’d throw a little more because he was their main runner,” USC’s Daylon McCutcheon said.

The Trojans held the Huskies to 31 rushing yards, their lowest total since a 19-yard output against USC in 1989, but Washington’s passing game and USC’s offensive ineptitude proved to be more important Saturday.

The Huskies didn’t miss Shehee on the score sheet, but they were sympathetic to his plight.

“I was disappointed. He’s a big key in our offense,” said split end Jerome Pathon, who was a catalyst himself with eight catches for 120 yards.

Said linebacker Jason Chorak: “Maurice Shaw and Jason Harris are tremendous backs. It’s up to them to pick it up now.”

Shaw had 17 carries for 43 yards, including one touchdown, and Harris had seven carries for 11 yards.

The news was better for Husky quarterback Brock Huard, who left the game in the third quarter after he was sacked by Cedric Jefferson and sprained his ankle. He was cleared to play, but with the game well in hand, he was held out.

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Chorak, a senior, considered Saturday’s victory a payback for the teams’ 21-21 tie at Washington two years ago.

“It’s a great feeling. The last time we were up, 21-0, at halftime when we played up here and they came back and tied and we couldn’t go to the Rose Bowl and we had to go to El Paso instead,” he said. “You just always love to beat Southern Cal. We’ve got a lot of guys from L.A. on the team and they talk about it a lot. It’s just a big emotional game for us.”

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USC wide receiver Billy Miller came away from the game an admirer of the Huskies.

“They only lost to Nebraska, so they’re got to be a good team,” he said. “They’re winning and they’ve played some really good teams.

“It’s going to be interesting when it comes down to them and Washington State for the Rose Bowl.”

That might be of interest to UCLA, which plays Washington in two weeks and is still in the running for the Rose Bowl.