COLLEGE FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : UCLA : Ayers Might Play Tailback
Karim Watch, Day 3: If tailback Karim Abdul-Jabbar, questionable because of a sprained right ankle, is not able to play Saturday against USC, flanker Derek Ayers is expected to get a large share of the carries at tailback, and perhaps even start.
James Milliner is the backup tailback, but he gained only 26 yards last week against Washington in 10 carries.
A tailback in high school, Ayers, a junior, carried only 27 times in his first two seasons. This year, he has rushed nine times, all on reverses, and gained 144 yards, a 16-yard average.
Abdul-Jabbar remains uncertain about his status. “I’m hoping for the best,” he said after practice Wednesday, “but expecting the worst.”
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