Fullbacks Ready, Willing

With starting fullback Brandon Hancock expected to sit out the UCLA game because of a knee injury, Lee Webb and David Kirtman on Tuesday began gearing up for expanded roles in Saturday’s sold-out game against the Bruins at the Coliseum.

Webb, a junior, started the first four games of the season after Hancock suffered a high ankle sprain during training camp. He did not carry the ball in those games. Webb gained one yard in three carries in last week’s 45-0 rout of Arizona and is looking forward to playing against UCLA.

“It’s the biggest game of the season and it’s going to be exciting to play in front of a full house,” said Webb, who played at Crenshaw High.

Kirtman, a redshirt sophomore from Mercer Island, Wash., caught a pass against Hawaii and Notre Dame and rushed for 23 yards in five carries against Arizona.

Coach Pete Carroll said he has not settled on a starter.

*

The pursuit of offensive coordinator Norm Chow by schools seeking a head coach is not a distraction, Carroll said.

Chow is regarded as a leading candidate for the job at Arizona. He also will be a likely candidate at other schools if he is not hired in Tucson.

“It’s not a distraction at all,” Carroll said. “He’s been through this before.”

Chow turned down an offer to become coach at Kentucky last December.

*

Carroll refuses to complain about the bowl championship series system that dropped the second-ranked Trojans from second to third in the standings behind No. 1 Oklahoma and Ohio State.

Carroll, however, said he would favor traditional bowl matchups in a different BCS equation.

“I would love to see [the Pacific 10 Conference] playing the Big Ten every year. I know I’m old-fashioned, but I love that matchup,” Carroll said. “I wish that’s what happened and then, at the end of it, let’s play the thing off and let’s go. The problem with that is that you still have to have some sort of selection process and maybe this is the best process.... You can’t play forever in a playoff system.”

*

Ohio State’s game against Michigan will probably end by or near the start of kick-off against UCLA, but Carroll said the outcome of the Big Ten Conference showdown would not be relayed to Trojan players.

Senior flanker Keary Colbert said his girlfriend, who attends Michigan, is rooting for USC.

“And she’s been joking that I better be rooting for the Wolverines,” Colbert said.

*

LaJuan Ramsey, who missed the Arizona game because of a shoulder injury, returned to practice and is expected to play against UCLA, Carroll said. ... Linebacker Matt Grootegoed (ankle) did not practice. Linebacker Melvin Simmons (bruised fibula) did some light drills. ... Safety Mike Ross, who suffered a concussion against Arizona, practiced but did not participate in contact drills.