USC once coveted Stanford tailback Toby Gerhart, who set California high school rushing records at Norco four years ago.

But Tailback U told the 6-foot-1, 235-pound Gerhart he’d have to play linebacker or fullback if he wanted to be a Trojan.
“I wanted to be the featured back, so I told them I wasn’t interested,” said Gerhart, who on Thursday was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award that honors the nation’s best collegiate running back.
Gerhart, also one of 16 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award that honors the nation’s top player, ranks second in the country with 135.2 yards rushing per game. He has gained more than 200 yards in a game twice this season and has scored 16 touchdowns.
Were the Trojans arrogant in miscasting him?
“Yeah ... I don’t know,” Gerhart said this week.
He took a recruiting trip to USC with two other highly ranked backs from Southern California — Stafon Johnson and C.J. Gable — who signed with the school.
“They saw those two guys as the running backs and me as the fullback guy,” said Gerhart, who added the school wouldn’t let him play baseball, which he has done at Stanford.
Now the Trojans know what they missed in the two-sport star.
Gerhart gained 223 yards Saturday in Stanford’s 52-41 victory over Oregon, breaking the school’s single-game rushing record.
The tailback expects USC to target him Saturday. In fact, he welcomes it.
Last year 6-3, 235-pound safety Taylor Mays and then-senior linebacker Rey Maualuga put a big hit on Gerhart.
“It was the first time where my momentum was clearly stopped and I was put on my butt,” Gerhart recalled. “I was like, ’All right, this is what you guys are supposed to do.’
“It gets me fired up.”
—A limited number of tickets are available for the 112th Big Game on Nov. 21. Tickets can be purchased at Stanford’s ticket office, online at GoStanford.com or by calling 1-800-Stanford.
Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at Stanford Stadium. The game will be televised nationally by Versus.
—Senior defensive end Erik Lorig, who hasn’t played since the UCLA game on Oct. 3 because of a groin strain, received an invitation to play in the 85th East-West Shrine Game scheduled for Jan. 23 in Orlando, Fla.