SC INSIDE LOOK: WILLIAMS WILL FIND IT TOUGHER TO HIDE FROM MEDIA GLARE.

Byline: Ramona Shelburne Staff Writer

PASADENA - The crowd around Mike Williams' locker had mostly cleared by the time Pete Carroll found him after the game to give him a hug, a handshake and a printout of the game statistics.

It was a private moment, with little pretense.

``Hey, Keary got his 1,000 yards,'' Williams said to Carroll immediately upon looking at the printout. ``Two years in a row, back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons.''

When asked how he knew of Colbert's accomplishments in his final game at USC even though there was nothing to indicate them on the printout of the game statistics, Williams didn't pause.

``He needed 136 yards to get 1,000. And he needed three catches to tie the career record, four to break it.''

Never mind that Williams, a sophomore, already had surpassed 1,000 yards for the second consecutive season weeks ago and should easily surpass Colbert's new career receptions record with 31 more catches as junior next season. Or that after the game he fielded rounds of questions about whether he'd be jumping to the NFL early or was a front-runner along with quarterback Matt Leinart for the Heisman Trophy in 2004.

``I don't want the attention. The way I look at it, the more you can shy away from things and keep it in perspective, the less you got to deal with when something blows up or you don't do good,'' Williams said.

``(Attention) is not my motive or something I look forward to. It's never been that important to me. I just feel like a guy my size, my position and you're going up against guys that are smaller than you almost every game, why do you have to say anything and call more attention to yourself.''

Williams, though, might not have a chance to hide from the attention much longer.

Though he wasn't the star of the game Thursday - his eight catches for 88 yards were tied for 10th on the all-time Rose Bowl receiving list, but somewhat of an average day for him - he provided the signature play of the Rose Bowl with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Leinart that put USC up 28-7 in the third quarter.

It undoubtedly will be replayed numerous times in the next year as the Heisman hype for both players builds. The play also will be added to Williams' growing highlight reel for NFL scouts, and he's well aware the questions about an early jump to the league will intensify.

``I'm ready for (the questions). ... What does Shaq say now about Kobe? 'C.A.T.' (Short for: Can't answer that). I think I'm going to take that approach. That or 'next question please.' ''

Colbert, though, was not as reluctant in his praise.

``I was calling him Michael Vick on the sideline,'' he said. ``He'd be a good quarterback because of his athleticism, ... the attention is naturally going to come for him. He just has to go out and do his thing, he has no control over it. Only thing he can do is play.''

Ramona Shelburne, [phone]

ramona.shelburne(at)dailynews.com