BLACKSBURG - Williams vs. Williams. It's a case that the lead defensive attorney desperately wants on the docket when Virginia Tech and No.1 Southern California meet in their season opener.

As an NCAA court continues to lollygag in issuing a final verdict on whether USC receiver Mike Williams will be eligible for the game, Tech cornerback Jimmy Williams said he hopes to see the Trojans All-American when the courtroom is called to order for the Aug.28 BCA Classic at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. "Oh, I want him to play," Jimmy Williams said. "I don't want no excuses. Yeah, I don't want no excuses when we shock the world."

Tech's Williams knows that few folks outside of Southwest Virginia are giving a young, rebuilding Tech club any shot at knocking off the co-defending national champions. In the latest odds at most Las Vegas books Wednesday, the Trojans were listed as a prohibitive 17-point favorite.

If the NCAA rules Mike Williams can suit up, that number could climb even higher.

Williams, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound gazelle who has caught 176 passes for 2,579 yards and 30 touchdowns in his two seasons at USC, applied to the NCAA two months ago for reinstatement of his college eligibility.

Williams' eligibility became an issue when the junior declared for last April's NFL Draft after a court struck down the league's requirement that a player be three years removed from high school before going pro. However, when a subsequent court later reversed that ruling, Williams was left in a veritable no man's land.

Williams has said all financial benefits and expense money he received from his agent Mike Azzarelli have been returned. He returned to classes at USC this summer and has been practicing with the Trojans.

While Tech coach Frank Beamer would undoubtedly prefer not to see Mike Williams in uniform nine days from now, his most talented cornerback is itching for the challenge of facing the country's premier college wideout.

"He ain't faced nobody like me before," Jimmy Williams said. "That's the whole thing right there. He hasn't faced no defense like our defense. They're watching film from last year ... hey, everybody in the country might as well throw that away. Y'all might as well go and throw that away because we've got something new for you every game, every week."

Odds and ends

Junior split end Chris Clifton, widely regarded as Tech's best receiver, did not practice Wednesday because of an injury to his right wrist sustained in Tuesday's scrimmage. While X-rays revealed no broken bones, Tech's medical staff wants to do a CT scan on Clifton's wrist to make sure there are no hairline fractures. ... Linebacker Mikal Baaqee (trap sprain) was in a blue jersey for a second straight day Wednesday. Wideout David Clowney (groin) and offensive lineman Tripp Carroll (concussion) also failed to work out again. ... Junior walk-on guard Rashad Ferebee suffered a broken fibula in Tuesday's scrimmage.