TIME TO WIN IS NOW FOR DORRELL WITH FOUNDATION SET, COACH SEEKS FIRST WINNING SEASON AT UCLA.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

Karl Dorrell begins his first season as UCLA's football coach. His first true season, that is.

In reality, it's Dorrell's third season, but his first two years were consumed by installing the West Coast offense, making recruiting inroads and reshaping the image of the program on and off the field.

The evaluation is no longer about the foundation. It is based on wins and losses.

Dorrell has yet to win a season opener with the Bruins, and Saturday would be a good opportunity when UCLA opens against San Diego State on the road. Dorrell owns a pair of six-win seasons and has a 2005 schedule that could easily produce eight or 10 victories.

Internet chat rooms and water-cooler debates might suggest Dorrell's job is on the line this season, but that sentiment isn't shared by UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero.

``We have to see measurable improvement in the program, and Karl will be the first to say that,'' Guerrero said. ``If we're not winning, maybe we're losing ground. We have some good veterans and he's brought in some kids that are young and talented and they need to develop and have that chance.

``Obviously, the end results are about winning and losing and Karl knows that more than anyone. But this whole notion of the hot seat isn't coming from Dan Guerrero.''

Dorrell, who had no head-coaching experience when he took over in Westwood, was hired to instill integrity into the program. Since Dorrell took the job in December 2002, 24 players have left the program. Those players either left, were kicked off the team or transferred to another school.

Ultimately, wins and losses are the statistics that matter most and UCLA is 12-13 under Dorrell. He is the first coach since 1924 to not have a winning season in either of his first two seasons.

UCLA was 6-6 in 2004, a season that ended with a miserable loss to Wyoming in the Las Vegas Bowl and 6-7 his first year. Dorrell, however, went to bowl games (six wins makes a team bowl) in each of his first two seasons, something no other UCLA coach has done.

The Bruins have been picked to finish anywhere from second to fifth in pre-season Pacific-10 Conference polls. Dorrell said his measurement of success, much like that of fans, is victories.

``I'm not used to losing. I'm not used to being average,'' Dorrell said. ``Those things get in my craw on a day-to-day basis. That drives me. Those are motivating factors that make me want to turn this program to where it should be. Every ounce of what I do is about what I can do to make UCLA better and what I can do to make my coaches better.''

When Bob Toledo was fired, Dorrell took over and found that a defensive lineman hadn't been recruited in two years. Not surprisingly, UCLA's young defensive line had the worst run defense in the Pac-10.

The Bruins made news last year when quarterback Ben Olson (Thousand Oaks High) transferred from BYU. Olson, who has four years of eligibility, was the top quarterback prospect in the country coming out of high school. He was set to be UCLA's backup until Tuesday, when the school announced he had a hairline fracture in his left hand.

Eric Bieniemy, UCLA's recruiting coordinator and running backs coach, has made Los Angeles his prime area of recruiting real estate. Much like the housing market, it's a hotbed and has served the Bruins well.

There's defensive end Nikolas Dragovic out of Rancho Buena Vista, who's starting as a sophomore and a future linebacking corps with freshmen John Hale (Los Alamitos) and Reggie Carter (Crenshaw). Both should get playing time.

Bieniemy has landed other overlooked gems, too. He offered a scholarship to Kalhil Bell (Marin Catholic High in San Anselmo) when no other school - even from smaller divisions - would. Already, the freshman is in the three-back rotation with Maurice Drew and Chris Markey.

``It's the kids on the fence that you've got to get and pull them over to your side,'' Bieniemy said. ``Those make up the majority of the recruiting city of L.A. We've got to do a better job of keeping those kids in our backyard and convincing them that UCLA is the best place for them. If we produce on the field and continue to be proactive and aggressive in recruiting, it will take care of itself.''

UCLA has several talented seniors - tailback Drew, tight end Marcedes Lewis, linebackers Justin London and Spencer Havner and safety Jarrad Page - but eight players could make their first career start Saturday.

On paper, it's a solid mix of veterans and newcomers. The offense should once again effectively run and pass with coordinator Tom Cable calling the plays. Larry Kerr, the defensive coordinator, has a young, quick defense.

``This is the year,'' London said. ``The past couple of years, we've had six wins. We're to the point where we've learned how to put a game away, how to give a game away and how to take a loss. It's time to put those things that we learned into the games and I think it will create victories.''

UCLA follows its opener with four consecutive games (Rice, Oklahoma, Washington and Cal) at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins haven't beat USC in six years but came close last year in a 29-24 loss.

``It's UCLA football and in that respect, everyone has a sense of urgency of where we are and where we want the program to be,'' Guerrero said. ``If you're looking at a goal, I'd give you the number 12. Our goal is to win every game we play. We're entering the season with a lot of optimism and a great deal of confidence. I think the outlook and future looks bright.''

Jill Painter, [phone]

jill.painter(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Despite taking UCLA to bowl games in his first two seasons as coach, Karl Dorrell has yet to win a season opener or post a winning campaign in Westwood.

Harry How/Getty Images

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