Garrett has talk with Washington

In the aftermath of an upset loss at Oregon State, meetings remained all the rage at USC on Thursday.

Two days after Coach Pete Carroll met with junior quarterback John David Booty amid radio and Internet discussions that said the fourth-year junior might leave for the NFL, junior tailback Chauncey Washington said he was summoned to Athletic Director Mike Garrett’s office.

“He said we need more leaders out there, that I have to become a leader and get the team going,” Washington said after practice. “I didn’t really say anything.... It’s just, ‘Yes sir,’ and do what I have to do on Saturday.

“We’ve just got to come out there and set the tone from the beginning instead of waiting until the last quarter to do things.”

Washington has rushed for a team-best 481 yards and scored four touchdowns in 105 carries. He fumbled twice in the Trojans’ 33-31 loss at Oregon State but remains the No. 1 tailback entering Saturday’s game at Stanford.

Washington said he emerged from a week of practice with a greater consciousness about holding onto the ball.

“When I’m in the game, I’ll just remind myself to keep it high and tight,” he said.

Even with an interception and three fumbles against Oregon State, USC has committed only 11 turnovers, the fewest in the Pacific 10 Conference. The Trojans have lost six fumbles.

“We’ve been doing OK at it; you just don’t know when it’s going to pop up,” Carroll said.

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Injured fullback Ryan Powdrell is bound for the NFL.

The fifth-year senior, who dislocated and broke his right ankle in the second game against Nebraska, said USC officials informed him that a successful appeal to the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility was highly unlikely.

The 6-foot, 255-pound Powdrell will prepare for USC’s annual pro day in the spring, when NFL scouts converge on the campus to test and evaluate draft-eligible players.

“I’m not going to get down just because I can’t come back for another year,” Powdrell said. “I’m going to make the best of it and get this thing ready for pro day.”

Junior Thomas Williams this week followed Powdrell’s example and switched from linebacker to fullback, providing USC with depth that was lacking after senior Brandon Hancock, Powdrell and freshman Stanley Havili suffered injuries.

“We were kind of resigned to Ryan’s situation,” Carroll said. “We’ve already talked about what’s going on next. I’ve talked him up to the scouts and all that stuff already.”

Powdrell said he would continue rehabilitation and begin lifting weights with hopes of running by January or February.

“Once I get into a camp, I’ll be fine,” he said.

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Stanford, coached by Carroll’s good friend Walt Harris, is 0-8.

“I don’t wish that on anybody,” Carroll said. “It’s an awful feeling.”

In 1984, Carroll was defensive backs coach for the Buffalo Bills, who started 0-11 and finished 2-14. The Bills gave up 32 touchdown passes, which ranked 27th among 28 NFL teams.

“My first year in the NFL,” he said, “I got fired after that season.”

Carroll joined the Minnesota Vikings staff for the 1985 season.

gary.klein@latimes.com