UW Football Notebook | Perkins, Ballman taking next step on road back

The recovery may never really be complete for Washington kickers Ryan Perkins and Jared Ballman.

But Friday night at Syracuse, when each is slated to make his Huskies debut — Perkins as the field-goal kicker, Ballman handling punts and kickoffs — will mark a significant threshold.

For Perkins, it will be his first kick in a real game since the 2005 state high-school all-star game in Spokane — he suffered major damage to his right knee in the UW spring game in 2006.

"It's been a long road," said Perkins, who needed two surgeries to repair the knee after every ligament was torn when he was run into while unleashing a punt. "I guess it hasn't hit me yet that now, all of a sudden, I get to go in and play this game as a field-goal kicker, that this is really happening. It's more of a surreal thing."

Ballman's absence hasn't been as long — he last kicked in a game in November for Grossmont (Calif.) College. But that was two months before Ballman was the driver in an auto accident in which his father was killed and his younger brother, Jeffrey, critically injured.

Ballman decided to enroll at Washington in March as originally planned, and last spring told reporters that joining the Huskies helped keep his mind off the tragedy. But he admits now that was easier said than done.

"In the spring, my mind wasn't there," he said. "It was on too many other things."

That, he said, helped result in some admittedly spotty outings that left the position open heading into fall camp.

But Ballman said he's in a better mental state this fall, due in large part to the recovery of his brother, who recently began walking and riding a bike again. Ballman said he thinks his brother will be essentially healed of his injuries in about six months.

"Now that I know that everything's fine I can just focus on what I have to do," he said.

Ballman was finally listed as the starting punter on Monday; he will also handle kickoffs, with touted true freshman Erik Folk battling a back injury. Ballman also competed for the field-goal job but said coaches recently told him to concentrate on punting for now. Huskies coach Tyrone Willingham, however, has left open the option that Ballman could handle longer field goals and Perkins the shorter ones.

Perkins, meanwhile, said the strength in his right leg is not what it was before he was injured, and that he continues to battle swelling and arthritis. He came to camp concentrating on winning the job through accuracy, and he hasn't attempted a kickoff yet in camp.

But he said he feels comfortable kicking out to 53 yards, especially in the controlled environment of the Orange's Carrier Dome.

"It's ideal," he said. "Just got to go in there and hit the ball solid and walk away from the dome and come back to nice, little, windy Husky Stadium. Enjoy it while it lasts."

Russo pumped for return

Senior wide receiver Anthony Russo is listed as a starter despite breaking his pinky during the first week of camp.

He said he may still wear a small splint on the finger, but that he's pretty much back to normal.

"It feels better every day," said Russo, who has made 23 straight starts.

Russo, who lived in the Boston area before moving to Lakewood in the ninth grade, said many members of his father's side of his family still live on the East Coast and will make the trip to the game.

"That was a big part of me wanting to come back, to see my family again," Russo said. "They haven't seen me play live, so that was real important to me."

Notes

• Willingham said there is a "60 percent" chance that CB Byron Davenport, who has been slowed by a hamstring pull all camp, will play against Syracuse. Willingham said Davenport has improved markedly in the last few days. "It's amazing what happens as you get closer to a ballgame," Willingham said.

• Backup WLB Chris Stevens appeared at Tuesday's practice wearing a cast on his left thumb. Willingham didn't mention the injury when speaking to reporters earlier.

• Willingham said he expects MLB Donald Butler (knee) to play, but said he "won't be afraid" to give the start to Trenton Tuiasosopo if Butler regresses, touting Tuiasosopo's play during camp.