Hicks Hopes to Get His Kicks at Stanford

It appears Skip Hicks won’t reach the goal he set before the season of 2,000 rushing yards, and he’s going to have to struggle to reach his total last season of 1,034.

But he may get more chances to add to his all-purpose total of 984 yards (757 rushing) in UCLA’s eight games.

Coach Bob Toledo said Monday that Hicks has asked to return kickoffs and he may get to do that Saturday at Stanford.

“I’m going to talk with him about it,” said Toledo, who added that nothing is certain this early in the week. “Maybe that’s what we need, somebody bigger to bring it up through there.”

The Bruins continue to lag in the Pacific 10 in kickoff return yardage at 17.8 per return, with five players trying at various times. Only Washington State is lower, at 15.1.

Hicks said he is concerned only with a strong ending to his college career, which has spanned five seasons.

“I’m going to miss college football,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about it. I only have three games left in my college career [not counting a bowl game]. I want to go out with a bang.”

The Bruins have played at Stanford twice since Hicks came to UCLA, but this will be his first trip to Palo Alto. He was injured and did not make the 1993 or 1995 trips.

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Receiver Brad Melsby, sidelined since preseason practice with what UCLA calls “physical and mental exhaustion,” is rejoining the Bruins after meeting with Toledo, and Toledo polling the team captains.

“It’s more for Brad than the team,” said Toledo, who will not take Melsby to Stanford and plans to employ him on the scout team for a while until a determination can be made of his conditioning.

After a freshman season in which he had 12 receptions for 173 yards and two touchdowns, Melsby suffered a torn knee ligament that kept him out of last season’s games.

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NEXT FOR UCLA

WHO: Stanford

WHERE: Stanford Stadium

WHEN: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

TV: Channel 9

RADIO: AM 1150