COLLEGE FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : USC : Johnson to Start Saturday

USC quarterback Rob Johnson, who did not return after suffering a pinched nerve in his neck during the third quarter of last Saturday’s 27-24 victory over California, will be back in the starting lineup Saturday against Washington State, Coach Larry Smith said.

Johnson, who completed 11 of 22 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown against Cal, was injured when he stumbled and fell headfirst into offensive guard Robert Loya. A magnetic resonance imaging test revealed that Johnson’s latest injury was unrelated to a concussion he suffered Oct. 3 during a 17-10 loss to Washington, Smith said.

The starting time for USC’s game against Arizona State on Oct. 31 at Tempe, Ariz., has been changed to 3:30 p.m., PST, to accommodate Prime Ticket, which will televise it as its Pacific 10 Conference game of the week.