BIG BEN STRIKES THROWS FOR 318 YARDS, THREE TDS IN 1ST START UCLA 31, UTAH 10.

Byline: BRIAN DOHN Staff Writer

PASADENA - UCLA fans had fawned and frothed for 20 months over Ben Olson, the talented quarterback recruit who shunned a return to BYU after a two-year church mission to transfer to his favorite boyhood team.

The long wait ended Saturday, and if Olson's first start foreshadows his career, it should well be worth it.

Olson engineered a touchdown drive on his first possession, completed his first nine passes and threw three touchdowns to lead the Bruins to a 31-10 thrashing of Utah in front of 59,709 fans at a roasting Rose Bowl.

Olson finished 25 of 33 for 318 yards, the highest total for a Bruin in his first start since Tommy Maddux had 353 yards at Michigan in 1990.

``I'm kind of filled with a lot of different emotions,'' Olson said. ``I knew what I'm capable of, and I just had to have a good attitude and wait for my time to come. I'd be lying if I didn't say there were some tough times getting to this point, but I had to keep the confidence in myself, that I knew I was guy.''

It is the second straight season UCLA has won its opener, and sets the Bruins up for a big start. Rice, Washington, Stanford and Arizona are the next four opponents.

``It was a great win, especially since the other team, they were talking a lot,'' Bruins defensive end Bruce Davis said. ``They thought they were the superior team. We get no respect. We get no love in the rankings, or anything like that. We went 10-2 last year, so this was a great stepping stone to prove last year wasn't a fluke, and we're going to do some damage in the national chase.''

The Bruins defense, oft-maligned the past twoseasons, showed spunk behind under new defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker.

Freshman cornerback Alterraun Verner led the way with a game-changing interception return for a touchdown late in the second quarter, but the effort was complete.

Utah's spread-option offense fizzled, accumulating 112 rushing yards (more than 100 yards fewer than UCLA averaged allowing in 2005) while starting quarterback Brett Ratliff was hurried or misfired en route to completing 13 of 31 passes for 162 yards.

Making matters more satisfying for the Bruins was the perceived trash-talking coming out of Salt Lake City during the week.

``It's all about respect,'' Bruins safety Chris Horton said. ``Everyone was saying Utah's going to come up here and throw the ball on us and do all this and all that. We put pressure on (Ratliff) up front, and we held our deal on the back end. If nobody's open, there's nobody to throw the ball to. They talked about a lot of stuff, but this is our house.''

And UCLA's defense was at its best in the second half, when the Utes managed 79 yards and three first downs. Four of Utah's six second-half possessions ended without a first down.

``We proved what we've been saying all camp,'' UCLA linebacker Aaron Whittington said. ``We were working hard, playing responsible and flying to the football and making plays.''

It wasn't a perfect day for the Bruins, but it certainly was that way for Olson. He took his first meaningful snap since 2001, when he was a senior at Thousand Oaks High, and hit Brandon Breazell on a slant pattern for 12 yards.

The drive ended six plays later, when Olson and tight end Ryan Moya hooked up for a 16-yard score.

``I can't explain it. He's old so he has experience, but he's been out for (four) years, and it really didn't show,'' Breazell said. ``I know he had a lot of pressure on him.''

UCLA's offense moved the ball the rest of the half, but it took Verner's interception to send the Bruins into the locker room with the lead.

Utes coach Kyle Whittingham brought in substitute quarterback Tommy Grady for a series, and two plays later the game changed. Verner stepped in front of receiver Marquis Wilson, whom Whittingham blamed for running a poor route, for the interception. Verner raced 34 yards down the left sideline to give UCLA a 14-7 lead.

``It's pretty surreal right now,'' said Verner, who also forced and recovered a fourth-quarter fumble. ``(Wilson) just kind of stopped, so I ran up and saw the ball and just picked it.''

Unable to run the ball - UCLA managed 107 yards on 41 carries - the Bruins relied on the short passing game to seize control in the second half.

Much as in the first half, Olson led a quick scoring drive on UCLA's first possession after the break, keyed by a 46-yard pass to tight end Logan Paulsen. The drive culminated with Olson getting plenty of time -- a constant as he was barely pressured all game -- and finding walk-on Matt Willis for a 20-yard score as UCLA went ahead 21-10.

Justin Medlock returned after missing the Sun Bowl because of a DUI charge, and added a 25-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter before Olson and Marcus Everett connected on a 9-yard touchdown pass with 7:41 to play to give the Bruins a 31-10 lead.

``We were surprised (by Olson's performance), but not really surprised,'' Whittingham said. ``He wasn't the No.1 high school quarterback in the country for nothing.''

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CAPTION(S):

4 photos, 6 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) UCLA's Ben Olson scrambles for yardage during the first quarter of Saturday's game against Utah at the Rose Bowl.

(2) UCLA running back Chris Markey picks up some yardage during the first quarter Saturday against Utah.

(3) UCLA's Marcus Everett hauls in Ben Olson pass over Utah's Brice McCain for a fourth-quarter touchdown Saturday.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

(4) UCLA cornerback Alterraun Verner

Box:

(1) BY THE NUMBERS

(2) THEY SAID IT

(3) THE HERO

(4) THE GOAT

(5) STAT OF THE GAME

(6) UCLA (1-0) LOG