Hackett Addresses Pac-10 Bowl Failings

The Pacific 10 Conference didn’t fare well on Christmas, and at USC’s first team meeting after arriving in El Paso on Saturday, Coach Paul Hackett made a couple of points--Colorado 51, Oregon 43 in the Aloha Bowl, and Air Force 45, Washington 25 in the Oahu Classic, to be precise.

“Coach addressed that very strongly,” linebacker Chris Claiborne said. “The Pac-10 was 5-0 last year. That’s two losses right there, and that just shows what can happen if you underestimate your opponent.”

Most worthy of attention for USC was the Air Force victory over Washington, a team USC also beat, 33-10.

That’s because Air Forced finished 12-1--and the only loss was to Texas Christian, USC’s 6-5 opponent in the Sun Bowl.

“That definitely gets your respect,” Claiborne said.

Tailback Chad Morton agreed.

“That was kind of eye-opening,” he said. “It makes you respect [TCU] a little more. You don’t want to take them lightly.”

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Receiver Windrell Hayes won’t play against TCU because of a toe injury suffered against Notre Dame, assistant coach Larry Petroff said, and won’t join the team in El Paso.

Hayes caught 24 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns and will be USC’s second-leading returning receiver next season--and the top returner if R. Jay Soward decides to turn pro.

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The Trojans were greeted at the airport with a serenade of “Feliz Navidad,” as was the TCU team when it arrived a couple of hours earlier.

“They had a mariachi band and people were hanging out watching,” Morton said. “It was a nice welcome to Texas.”

Also on schedule this week is a trip to a “bloodless” bullfight in Mexico, a visit to a local hospital and a shopping trip to a boot store.

Sun Bowl officials advised the players to be cautious about crossing the border into Juarez other than for the bullfight excursion.

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Morton, only 33 yards from a 1,000-yard season, practiced lightly after tweaking his ankle Tuesday. “I think by game time it will be 100%,” he said. . . . Cornerback Antuan Simmons, one of a number of players given permission to fly to El Paso on their own after visiting family for Christmas, didn’t make it in time for practice but was expected later. . . . The turf at the Sun Bowl is clearly weathered and didn’t get good reviews from players. “It’s hard,” Morton said. “Those logos feel like cement.”