GET OUT THE STRETCHERS DOES USC'S TUMBLE SEAL HACKETT'S FATE? WASH. ST. 33, USC 27.

Byline: Scott Wolf  Staff Writer

It's over. The small margin of error that existed for USC coach Paul Hackett to keep his job disappeared Saturday.

The Trojans once again underachieved in a 33-27 loss to Washington State in front of 40,565 at the Coliseum.

The loss guaranteed USC will finish last in the Pacific-10 Conference, officially ended the Trojans' bowl hopes and prevented them from pulling off a season-ending winning streak that might have saved Hackett's job.

Instead, USC (4-6, 1-6) can finish no better than 6-6 this season, and the feeling within the program is that it won't be nearly enough. Several sources said before the game that Hackett needed to win eight games, which would have required winning the final three regular-season games and a bowl game.

USC athletic director Mike Garrett had little to say after the game, but then, what could he say after another embarrassing loss?

``We still have the rest of the year to go and that's all I can tell you,'' Garrett said inside the USC locker room.

Then, referring to the players, Garrett added, ``My kids are in pain right now and that's what we're addressing.''

Fittingly, the game was played under dark skies with chilly winds blowing through the Coliseum. If any doubts existed that a change is coming, the tiny crowd which was smaller than announced demonstrated that sinking revenues will be enough reason to demand a change.

There were other signs of how desperate USC's situation has become.

Hackett criticized quarterback Carson Palmer and wide receiver Kareem Kelly in front of the team during his halftime address, with USC trailing Washington State 12-0.

According to witnesses, he said the ``offense stinks'' and said he would replace Palmer with senior Mike Van Raaphorst. He then made a derogatory reference to Kelly's play, which included a fumble that went out of the end zone and tipped pass that Washington State intercepted.

Hackett's words were defended by some players.

``This team wasn't performing,'' linebacker Zeke Moreno said. ``You have to do something to get their attention. There was no other way to act.''

Hackett pulled Palmer and put Van Raaphorst in for the first time this season. Palmer struggled in the first half, completing 12 of 26 passes for 145 yards.

``I felt our team needed a jolt,'' Hackett said. ``Carson missed some passes. Carson has been out of sync on getting the balls down the field. He missed a wide-open Kareem Kelly.''

Palmer put his best face on the matter.

``I wanted to play. I was, of course, sad. But we're not winning, and that's our sixth loss. It's the quarterback's job to win, and if not, you make a switch.''

The move paid immediate dividends when Van Raaphorst led USC on a touchdown drive to start the second half, culminating on a 34-yard scoring pass to Kelly that cut Washington State's lead to 12-7.

USC then held the Cougars, and Van Raaphorst drove the Trojans down to the Washington State 11-yard line when Hackett made a curious move that backfired.

On fourth-and-1 from the 11, he inserted tailback Petros Papadakis into the game for the first time all afternoon. Papadakis took the handoff . . . and lost a yard.

``It wasn't the right play for that situation,'' Hackett said.

It was a dubious call because Hackett could have elected to let tailback Chad Pierson, who averaged 7.2 yards per carry Saturday, carry the ball.

Washington State (4-6, 2-5) immediately struck back. Quarterback Matt Kegel threw an 88-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Williams that gave the Cougars a 19-7 lead.

Defensive end D.D. Acholonu then recovered a Van Raaphorst fumble and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown, expanding the lead to 26-7.

That play was the second turnover Washington State turned into a touchdown. Earlier in the game, the Trojans had a punt blocked and Jeremy Thielbahr returned it for a touchdown.

``We were awful,'' Hackett said. ``I have no idea where the team from a week ago went. You cannot turn the ball over. There's no question we were flat. Maybe we didn't do a good job letting them know that Washington State had played an overtime game with Oregon last week.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo: (1 -- color) USC's Kareem Kelly doesn't hold on for this potential touchdown reception in the first half against Washington State. The Trojans were held scoreless at halftime and couldn't come back.

(2) USC's Chad Pierson fights for more yards against WSU's Chris Martin, but he didn't get the call on a key fourth-down play.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer

Box: Pac 10 FOOTBALL: A QUICK LOOK