BOULDER — A young, inexperienced team ravaged by injuries welcomed back its two best playmakers Friday night. Call it rust. Call it lack of a supporting cast. Call it Southern California’s defense.
But the return of tailback Rodney Stewart and receiver Paul Richardson registered only a few blips on the ESPN screen in Colorado’s 42-17 loss to the 21st-ranked Trojans.
Stewart, out the last two games with a sprained knee, had 21 carries for 88 yards. Richardson, the team’s leading receiver despite missing the previous four games with a sprained knee, had only two catches for 18 yards.
“Speedy, it was good to have him back,” Colorado coach Jon Embree said. “He did some good things. He’s not completely healthy. I was hoping we’d get what we got out of him.”
Stewart had some highlights. His 155 all-purpose yards, including 67 yards on six receptions, give him 4,466 yards. That passed the 4,320 set by his position coach, Eric Bieniemy, from 1987-90. Stewart also had an 18-yard reception to the USC 41 to break the record.
“I ain’t worried about that, man,” Stewart said. “I just want to win some games.”
Stewart insisted his knee felt fine as he had a long run of 21 yards.
“I felt pretty good,” Stewart said. “It got a little cold and I was a little stiff, but I played through it.”
The only nervous moment came when Stewart got up limping a bit after a tackle, but he played the whole game. Backup Josh Ford had one carry.
“I know he got up limping one time and that was a little nerve-wracking having him go through that,” Embree said. “But he bounced back and played. I thought we got good production out of him.”
He got little out of Richardson, who didn’t talk to the media afterward. He was overshadowed by Toney Clemons, who had five catches for a career-high 112 yards and two touchdowns.
It appeared that Clemons became quarterback Tyler Hansen’s first option with Richardson more of an afterthought.
“I think 6 (Richardson) had a couple opportunities,” Embree said. “We just weren’t able to get him the ball, but I’m glad he’s back.”
Richardson had burned California for 11 catches and 284 yards with two touchdowns and appeared set on becoming the Pac-12 newest receiver threat. However, he was no factor against USC.
He started but caught only one pass for 3 yards in the first half and another for 15 yards late in the third quarter. Hansen threw to him only four other times.
John Henderson: 303-954-1299, jhenderson@denverpost.com/
Three questions
1. Will the return of tailback Rodney Stewart and wide receiver Paul Richardson from knee injuries provide a spark to the Colorado offense? Richardson looked rusty, but Stewart gave the Buffs a breakaway threat out of the backfield that had been sorely missed. But Southern Cal, just like about every other Pac-12 team, has six or seven explosive players, if not more.
2. Can Colorado’s patchwork defensive secondary somehow prevent Southern California sophomore wideout Robert Woods from having a monster game? In the first half, Woods looked more like a decoy, with his colleague Marqise Lee stealing the show. But Woods reached the century mark in receiving yards with a 45-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter, his second score of the game.
3. Can Colorado, a three-touchdown underdog, give the national ESPN audience a reason to stay tuned? The Buffs did take the opening kickoff and marched 69 yards for a touchdown, but another lopsided margin felt inevitable.
Key stat
4,466: CU tailback Rodney Stewart’s 18-yard reception in the first quarter gave him the school’s all-time all-purpose yardage record, passing his position coach, Eric Bieniemy (4,320 from 1987-90). Stewart now has 4,466 yards with three games to play.
Key play
With a chance to pull within 21-10 with 4:15 left in the first half, Will Oliver had a 31-yard field-goal attempt blocked, and USC scored on the ensuing drive to kill any momentum the Buffs might have had.
