More Than 30 People Seek Aid Due to Heat

Whether it was the fans or the players, one of the biggest factors in Sunday’s Pigskin Classic was the heat. While the stadium thermometer inched toward the 100-degree mark, the temperature on the field soared to 118 degrees.

More than 30 people sought assistance for heat-related problems, according to Coliseum security officials. One USC song girl and three members of the Trojan marching band were taken off the field in the first half because of the heat, but all returned.

A 77-year-old woman was transported to a hospital. Her condition was not immediately available.

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The USC offensive line, a big question mark because of four new starters, got through the game fine.

“I’m thrilled with those guys,” Hackett said. “We can build on that.”

Right guard Travis Claridge is the only veteran, and he exhorted his linemates to keep working after getting “smacked” early.

“I told them, ‘It’s just like practice,’ ” he said.

With Brent McCaffrey and Matt Welch making their first starts at the tackle positions and backup Ken Bowen sidelined because of an elbow injury, Rome Douglas backed up both.

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Even in victory, USC linebacker Chris Claiborne said the absence of star wide receiver R. Jay Soward, suspended one game for academic reasons, was glaring. “With R. Jay, it’s a big difference,” Claiborne said. “We would have hit some of those long bombs early. No one out there could keep up with R. Jay.”

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With field goals of 30 and 45 yards, USC kicker Adam Abrams extended his streak without a miss to 12. His last miss was a 34-yarder against Cal in the third game last season.

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USC strong safety Grant Pearsall left the game because of a sprained right knee in the first half, and tailback Malaefou MacKenzie sprained his left knee in the third quarter but was able to walk off the field.

Both are expected to be available for USC’s next game, on Sept. 12 against San Diego State.

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Linebacker Mark Cusano, USC’s third-leading tackler last season, played only sparingly because of a recent hamstring injury, making one tackle and breaking up a pass.

Zeke Moreno, who started in Cusano’s place, had two tackles.

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The game ball was awarded to Coach Paul Hackett for his first USC win and to Matt Schiotz, the Trojans’ strength and conditioning coordinator, for the team’s endurance in the fourth quarter.

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This season marks five anniversaries for the Trojans and the Coliseum. In 1978, USC won its last national championship, and in 1968, O.J. Simpson won the Heisman Trophy. This season is the 70th anniversary of USC’s first national championship team and will be the 70th anniversary of the USC-Notre Dame game. And 75 years ago, USC played its first football game in the Coliseum.

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Times columnist Jim Murray, who died Aug. 16, was honored by a standing ovation before the game.

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Times staff writer Robyn Norwood contributed to this report.