USC football: Curtis McNeal beats obstacles to start at tailback

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Curtis McNeal waited nearly four years for the opportunity to start at tailback for USC, and he finally gets his chance Friday night against Colorado.

McNeal was in the running to start the opener against Minnesota because Marc Tyler was suspended for a series of off-the-field incidents. That honor, however, went to redshirt freshman D.J. Morgan.

But McNeal has run strong in the last three games against California, Notre Dame and Stanford. With Tyler sidelined because of a shoulder injury, McNeal will be the starter.

McNeal’s journey from a Los Angeles housing project to USC was chronicled in this report from September.

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-- Gary Klein