UCLA FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: OLSON COULD BE STARTING VS. USC.Byline: JILL PAINTER Staff Writer UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX quarterback Ben Olson For the American soccer player, see . Benjamen James Olson (born February 23, 1983 in Thousand Oaks, California) is a redshirt junior quarterback for the 2006 UCLA Bruins football team. is closer to regaining his starting position with the crosstown cross·town or cross-town adj. Running, extending, or going across a city or town: a crosstown street; crosstown traffic. adv. rivalry game against USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. looming. If Olson is ready, he will be the starting quarterback, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. UCLA coach Karl Dorrell Karl Dorrell (born December 18, 1963 in Alameda, California) is the first black head coach in the history of the UCLA Bruins college football team, a position he took on December 18, 2002. . Olson says he's ready. ``I feel really good,'' Olson said Tuesday. ``I'm very close. (The knee) feels good. I'd have no problems playing. I would love the opportunity, but that's the coaches' decision.'' The official decision won't be made until next week. UCLA has a bye this week, giving Olson an extra week to get ready. It likely will be made early in the week so that either Olson or Pat Cowan could take most of the snaps in practice. Olson has missed the past six games since tearing the medial collateral ligament The medial collateral ligament or MCL (or tibial collateral ligament) is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial or inner side of the joint. in his left knee. ``It is possible that Ben could start,'' Dorrell said. ``I want to make sure he's ready. He's feeling close to 100 percent, so physically, he's feeling a lot better. Mentally, I've got to make sure he's ready to go in this kind of game. Pat knows as well that the plans are if Ben is ready to go and is 100 percent, (Olson) will get the opportunity to be the starter. Pat knows if that's not the case, he's going to be the guy, just like the last six weeks. They're both on the same page.'' Cowan is 2-4 in his six starts, leading UCLA to wins in his past two starts against Oregon State and Arizona State. If the game was today, Dorrell said, ``Pat's the one that's ready to play.'' Olson has no concerns about being ready mentally. He didn't play college football for nearly five years and missed time with a fracture in his throwing hand last season. ``Obviously, I'll be a little rusty, anytime you've been off, and I've been off for six weeks, but I've been in every meeting,'' Olson said. ``I'm just trying to prepare myself to play and do what I've always done. I have to prove that I am the guy.'' Bell suspended: Running back Kahlil Bell, who was the backup tailback tail·back n. Football The back on an offensive team who lines up farthest from the line of scrimmage. tailback Noun Brit a queue of traffic stretching back from an obstruction until he suffered an ankle injury, was suspended for the USC game for disciplinary issues within the team. Dorrell acknowledged he wasn't healthy enough to play anyway. ``It's within the program in terms of personal conduct,'' Dorrell said. ``There were some things I wasn't happy with that he needs to correct.'' Dorrell said Bell would be re-instated sometime after the USC game, but did not know if that would be before a bowl game. Also: Jeremy McGee will attend funeral services funeral service n → misa de cuerpo presente funeral service n → service m funèbre funeral service funeral n for his mom, Genell, in Louisiana on Saturday, and will return to the UCLA football team Monday. She died of a heart attack last week. -- UCLA practices today, then is off the next two days for the Thanksgiving holiday. The Bruins return to practice Saturday afternoon. jill.painter@dailynews.com (818) 713-3615 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: BEN OLSON Quarterback has missed past six games since suffering injury to his left knee. |
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