UCLA FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: OLSON MIGHT SEE SOME ACTION.Byline: BRIAN DOHN Staff Writer Quarterback Ben Olson's knee is on the mend, and the redshirt sophomore could return to the gridiron for the first time in six weeks when 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 plays Arizona State on Saturday. It just won't be as a starter. Bruins 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. said redshirt freshman Patrick Cowan Patrick Edmund Cowan (born March 23, 1986 in Surrey, British Columbia) was the starting quarterback for the UCLA Bruins football team after starter Ben Olson was injured in the middle of the 2006 season. Cowan is a redshirt sophomore. will make his sixth straight start at quarterback against the Sun Devils
``Pat will start again this week. Ben, we'll see how things work through the course of the week to see if he's ready for any duty,'' Dorrell said. ``I know last week he was a little concerned with being the (backup) because he wasn't sure of his physical stature. This week, I know he should feel better. ``And believe me guys, I want to play him when he's good and ready to play. I don't want to set him back.'' Olson said after last Saturday's win against Oregon State that he believed he was ready to return. He has been out since he tore the posterior cruciate ligament posterior cruciate ligament n. Abbr. PCL The cruciate ligament of the knee that crosses from the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the anterior part of the medial condyle of the femur. in his left knee Oct. 7 against Arizona. ``The deal with (Olson) is to try and get him both mentally and physically ready to play, and he's working and close to doing that,'' Dorrell said. ``I know that he wants to, but we have to make sure he's mentally and physically ready. That's a decision that I will make, whether he's going to return to play.'' Olson practiced last week, but said periods of inactivity caused his knee to tighten. He was UCLA's emergency backup against the Beavers. Upon further review: Dorrell didn't mince words immediately following the win against the Beavers when he saw UCLA was flagged for 13 penalties totaling 155 yards, but he changed his outlook a bit after watching the game film. ``I was a little disappointed with the penalties,'' Dorrell said. ``After viewing the tape, it wasn't necessarily us. I'm not going to publicly criticize the officiating in the game, but it was not characteristic of what I've seen before. And that's something we'll have to address at some later time.'' Still, UCLA was called for one personal foul and two unsportsmanlike conduct Unsportsmanlike conduct (or unsporting behaviour, or archaically ungentlemanly conduct) is a term used in many professional sports to refer to a particular player or team who have acted inappropriately and/or unprofessionally in the context of the game. penalties. ``There were some penalties that were warranted, for sure, but there were some that were not. But we'll continue to work on the things we can control as a staff,'' Dorrell said. ``The one thing I don't want this program to be marred with is sloppy slop·py adj. slop·pi·er, slop·pi·est 1. Marked by a lack of neatness or order; untidy: a sloppy room. 2. play, and bad football. Those are reflections on coaches. We have to coach better.'' Also: Bruins strongside linebacker Aaron Whittington (ankle) could return this week against Arizona State, Dorrell said. ... 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 Kahlil Bell (ankle) is expected to practice this week after missing the last three games. His status for Saturday is uncertain. brian.dohn@dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 |
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