UCLA FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: FRESHMAN QB FINE WITH RESERVE ROLE.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

The competitive side of Ben Olson doesn't like to admit it, but the rational, objective part concedes what transpired this season was anticipated.

Olson, UCLA's backup quarterback and a highly touted transfer from BYU, believes he would have played immediately if he went to the University of California, but it might not have served him best.

Instead, Olson said the best scenario was for him to serve as the understudy to Drew Olson (no relation) for a year, and he's glad he did it.

``I honestly didn't know how long it was going to take me to get ready,'' Ben Olson said. ``Drew was a senior and he started the last two years, so for me to come in and beat him out would be really tough. I envisioned that I would back him up for a year and then take over. This is how I thought it would be.

``Had I gone to Cal, to be honest, I didn't know how long it was going to take to get back. Cal, I kind of looked at it as, yeah, I could go in there and probably play right at the beginning, but will I be up to where I need to be? You don't want to play if you're not ready.''

Olson, who was the top high school recruit coming out of Thousand Oaks High in 2002, went on a two-year Mormon mission after spending a semester at BYU.

Before Ben Olson suffered a broken hand late in training camp, the two Olsons were in a tight race for the quarterback job. Even after Drew Olson was named the starter, Bruins coach Karl Dorrell planned to get Ben Olson playing time to ready him for next season.

Ten games into his first season in Westwood, Ben Olson has barely played. In four mop-up appearances, he is 2 for 4 for 11 yards.

``It's one thing if I was sitting behind a mediocre player,'' Ben Olson said. ``Drew has been awesome, and I'm the first one to congratulate him.

``I do not regret (coming to UCLA) in any sense. I didn't expect to be where I'm at now, this early. I didn't expect to come out in fall camp like I did. I don't think anyone expected me to play that well after not playing for two years.''

--Willis surgery: Bruins backup receiver Matt Willis had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee Monday, but Dorrell said he was hopeful Willis would be ready for the Dec. 3 contest with USC.

Brian Dohn, [phone]

brian.dohn(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

BEN OLSON

UCLA backup QB says he was better off playing behind Drew Olson this season.