1-2 BRUINS HEAR THE GRUMBLING NEVER MIND TOUGH SCHEDULE, PAST RECORD OF SLOW TRANSITIONS.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

Of UCLA's past seven coaches, a list that dates back to Red Sanders in 1949, only Tommy Prothro in 1965 and Terry Donahue in 1976 won more than six games in their first season. USC's Pete Carroll was 2-5 his first year before finishing 6-6. Oklahoma's Bob Stoops was 7-5 in his first season.

In other words, coaching transitions take time.

However, the grace period normally afforded coaches is being tested at UCLA. After just three games, what began as minor grumbling has evolved into blaring criticism of first-year head coach Karl Dorrell. He has come under attack for a struggling offense, a horrific special-teams performance last week and, mostly, because the Bruins are 1-2 for the first time since 1997 and some folks don't understand the meaning of patience.

Forgotten is that both of UCLA's losses were to ranked teams on the road, in Colorado and at No. 1 Oklahoma.

The Dorrell bashing has engendered some emotional responses at UCLA, where the belief remains steadfast that Dorrell was the right hire and that it is premature to think otherwise.

``For someone to think you make a hire with a new coach and you become a national-championship contender is really looking at the process through rose-colored glasses,'' UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero said. ``Obviously, there is a learning curve. You speak to any athletic director in the country, with any new coach, there's a learning curve when they come in.''

Much of the early criticism directed at Dorrell stems from a lethargic offense that ranks next to last in the country at 239.5 yards per game even though Dorrell is billed as an offensive coach.

And it didn't help when punter Chris Kluwe, told to kick away from Antonio Perkins, sent the ball to the Sooners speedster anyway. And Perkins did his part by setting an NCAA records with three punt returns for touchdowns and 277 punt-return yards.

Dorrell addressed many such issues during his Monday news conference and was emphatic about remaining on course in his restructuring of the program.

``I knew this wasn't going to be a smooth transition,'' Dorrell said. ``We knew that back in January. Obviously, when you coach, you're coaching to win football games. People were asking me last week, `Did we have a chance against Oklahoma?' I was like, `Hell, yeah.' We had a chance because we're coaching to win the football game. That's what our approach is every week, so when you're unable to accomplish those things, that's what is disappointing.

``But all the other things, in terms of what we see as coaches and what we do from a day-to-day basis, those are the things that I see us getting better, which is probably harder for the untrained eye to see.''

The offense is at the root of the Bruins' problems.

The players have yet to master the scaled-back, but still-complicated version of the Denver Broncos offense and often look out of sync as they learn.

UCLA has mustered 41 points in three games behind backup quarterback Drew Olson, who took over in the season's first quarter when starter Matt Moore was injured. Olson is 42 of 88 for 402 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

The bulk of the running game is being shared by Tyler Ebell and Manuel White, who have run for a combined 280 yards behind an offensive line that lost two four-year starters and shifted Steven Vieira from right guard to left tackle.

``It's gradual, particularly when you're putting in everything new for everybody to understand it,'' Dorrell said of gaining an understanding of the offense. ``It's not going to be something that lights up the scoreboard when you've got all people being (at) different (learning levels) within the system.

``But they'll see at a certain point where it clicks for them, `Oh, this is what you mean.' That hasn't quite hit yet, but it will.''

Some also have suggested that offensive coordinator Steve Axman's play-calling has been too conservative. The Bruins continually ran the ball without success against Colorado's eight-man front and there appeared to be confusion on the sideline. But that was expected, given it was the first game for a new staff.

After UCLA beat Illinois 6-3 at the Rose Bowl the following week, Dorrell was asked why the Bruins were attempting so many deep passes in an offense designed for short passes. Then, after the loss to Oklahoma, Dorrell was asked why so many short, out patterns were run instead of throwing the ball deep against speedy Sooners defensive backs with incredible closing ability on a pass.

The players have ideas. Olson said he would like to have more plays to work with while junior receiver Craig Bragg added he hopes to get the ball in the middle of the field to take advantage of his play-making ability.

Dorrell suggests that they be patient, too.

``We would love to put them (Bragg and Junior Taylor) in position where they could do something after the catch, and that's what this offense is about,'' Dorrell said. ``That will come. They need to understand the element first before jumping off to that dimension.''

Also fueling the criticism is the level of expectations.

Unlike many of his predecessors, Dorrell inherited a team coming off a bowl season. Donahue's first season came after the Bruins beat Ohio State in the 1976 Rose Bowl and Bob Toledo followed after Donahue lost in the 1995 Aloha Bowl to Kansas, but the other six coaches before Dorrell took over mediocre teams.

The Bruins went 8-5 last season but their victories came over marginal teams, including New Mexico in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Oregon State (ranked 30th) was the top team UCLA beat, according to the final Jeff Sagarin ratings from last season. The Bruins won four of their last six, but Washington (37th) was the only one ranked in the top 65. Arizona (69th), New Mexico (73rd) and Stanford (74th) were the other three victories.

So UCLA, under a new coach with a new system, wasn't destined to be a world beater immediately.

``This offense, it takes time to perfect,'' Bragg said. ``You look at NFL players, they usually struggle at first as well. Nobody deserves to get a bad rap for the way we started.

``I think it takes time to understand the offense, and you can't judge an offense or a coach or the players after only a few games.''

Brian Dohn, [phone]

brian.dohn(at)dailynews.com

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) UCLA first-year coach Karl Dorrell, right, shakes hands with Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops after Oklahoma defeated the Bruins 59-24 Saturday.

(2) UCLA quarterback Drew Olson is sacked by Oklahoma linebacker Dusty Dvoracek in the Sooners' rout.

Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press