SEATTLE – With all the star power on USC, it’s pretty easy to be overlooked. On many teams, David Kirtman would be one of the standouts. On the Trojans, he’s just a piece of the puzzle.
But coaches certainly recognize the value of the 230-pound senior fullback from Mercer Island.
“He has done so much for us,” USC coach Pete Carroll said. “He’s a versatile guy. He’s been a real force for us. He’s a terrific blocker, knows our system really well, can catch the ball. … He does subtle things that coaches really appreciate.”
Kirtman was a star running back at Mercer Island, gaining 1,311 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior. He served primarily on special teams his first two seasons for USC, then caught 19 passes as a backup fullback last season. This year, Kirtman hasn’t carried the ball, instead serving as the blocker for stars Reggie Bush and LenDale White, but has 12 catches for 169 yards and a touchdown.
Washington coach Tyrone Willingham said players like Kirtman, who give up personal glory for the good of the team, are invaluable. He pointed to fullback Mark Palaita and tight end Johnie Kirton as examples of those types of players on his team.
“He is symbolic of what their team is,” Willingham said. “He gets limited touches, but if he’s not a good lead blocker or a good receiver in that system, then that system doesn’t function as well as it should.”
Been there: Carroll said he knows what Washington is going through in rebuilding.
When Carroll took over in 2001, the Trojans were coming off of seasons of 6-6 and 5-7 and had had only one winning record in the Pac-10 in the previous five seasons. Under Carroll, the Trojans beat San Jose State to start the 2001 season, then lost five of their next six, but the losses came by a total of 25 points.
He said being competitive against good teams like Oregon and Washington helped his team develop a winning attitude. After losing to the Huskies 27-24 at Husky Stadium, Carroll said he remembered his team being angry about the loss, rather than simply disappointed, and knowing that even though they played poorly, they took a good team to the end before losing.
He said a 41-34 win at Arizona, starting a season-ending four-game winning streak, got things going.
“We felt that we had turned at that time,” Carroll said. “We said in the locker room after that that we didn’t have to lose anymore. We may get beat, but we didn’t have to lose anymore.”
Starting with the Arizona game, USC has gone 46-4.
Injury update: Willingham expects tackle Joe Toledo to play today, and he could even start. Toledo has been out with a sprained ankle since the season-opener. Safety C.J. Wallace is also ready to go, but cornerback Josh Okoebor (hamstring) will miss at least this week and possibly longer.
Ticket update: As of late Wednesday night, 63,914 tickets had been sold for the game.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
