Steele Eyes UCLA Game for Return

Markus Steele tested his sprained ankle at practice Tuesday with mixed results: The senior linebacker moved around better than expected but nowhere near full speed.

“I’m still feeling pain,” he said. “I just have to keep trying it every day.”

Steele said he does not expect to play against Washington State on Saturday but hopes to be ready for UCLA on Nov. 18. Two other players with ankle injuries, center Eric Denmon and cornerback Darrell Rideaux, are showing improvement, Coach Paul Hackett said.

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After practice, Hackett pulled receiver Kareem Kelly aside for a lengthy conversation that featured a good deal of hand waving. Kelly said it wasn’t as serious as it might have appeared.

“Coach Hackett is really emotional,” he said. “He just looks like he’s mad.”

Instead, both coach and receiver said, Hackett was urging Kelly to build on last Saturday’s performance against Arizona State, when the sophomore caught six passes for a game-high 85 yards.

“All I’m talking about is focus and being ready,” Hackett said.

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Only a few weeks ago, linebacker Aaron Graham walked into assistant coach A.J. Christoff’s office to complain about lack of playing time.

The sophomore was tired of waiting in line behind middle linebacker Zeke Moreno, the team’s most consistent performer. Christoff told him to remain patient and, last Saturday, that patience paid off.

With Steele injured, Moreno switched outside and Graham got his first start in the middle.

“At first I had the deer-in-the-headlights look,” he said. “My eyes got real big.”

He settled down after a few snaps and played most of the way, recording nine tackles, including a sack. It was a performance he hopes will pave the way for him to become a starter next season, after Moreno and Steele have graduated.

“I’m a blue-collar worker,” Graham said. “That’s the way I was raised--if you work hard, you get your piece of the pie.”

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Practice ended with a visit from MTV host Johnny Knoxville. The quirky daredevil from the show “Jackass” donned a uniform and let USC players run the length of the field to hit him with flying tackles. Grumbled one player: “That’s why I don’t watch TV anymore.”