UW Football Notebook | As Kirton mends, his role expands

After sending Johnie Kirton on a run up the middle that picked up a first down in the first quarter Saturday against Arizona State, UW offensive coordinator Tim Lappano wanted to call on him again.

Only Kirton was on his way to the hospital as his temperature soared to 105 degrees after he fell victim to an infection that he said arose from a hair follicle on his chin.

"I had no idea what happened to him," Lappano said.

Kirton, who said he also began experiencing double vision, told reporters Tuesday that he's on his way back to health and should be fine for Saturday's game against Oregon in Autzen Stadium.

If so, Lappano says to expect the Huskies to use Kirton even more in short-yardage situations.

After the struggles picking up short yardage against Cal the week before, UW coaches began working with Kirton in practice last week.

"I liked what he did," Lappano said. "That's something we want to stay with."

It's a happy turn of events for Kirton, who came to UW as a running back after rushing for 2,675 yards, a yard shy of the state record, as a senior at Jackson High in 2003. UW coaches moved him to tight end before last season and that remains his primary position.

Kirton's carry Saturday was the first of his career and he said he was glad that, "I finally got to show Seattle I can run the football, at least for one play."

Lappano said Kirton has done so well in the short yardage practice situations that he's told Kirton, "If he did that from day one, he'd still be a running back."

Locker fine with redshirt

While coach Tyrone Willingham has officially left open the possibility that Jake Locker could still play this season, in all probability the quarterback will redshirt. Locker said Tuesday that is fine with him.

"Like I said before, I knew the coaches would do the best thing for me, and they feel like this is the best thing for me and the team, so I support them 100 percent in the decision that they made," he said.

Lappano said Tuesday he considers walk-on Felix Sweetman the No. 3 QB this week.

Notes

• Lappano said RB Kenny James should be ready to go this week, and James appeared to be participating fully in the portion of practice open to the media.

• Junior-college transfer WR Marcel Reece doesn't have a catch in the past two games and has just two catches in the past five games. Lappano said he will be tried this week at the outside receiver spots instead of in the slot. "He's got to play faster," Lappano said.

• The starting UW offensive line has taken every snap of every game except when LT Ben Ossai was suspended for the opening quarter of the USC game, with Erik Berglund taking his place. OL coach Mike Denbrock said the line is holding up physically but he may try to get some of the backups some snaps in coming games, notably Berglund, and OGs Morgan Rosborough and Casey Bulyca.