UCLA NOTEBOOK: BROKEN HAND SLOWS TEVAGA.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

Shannon Tevaga planned to use spring practice to build on a fine freshman season, when he became UCLA's starting strong-side guard the final six games.

Two broken bones in Tevaga's left hand will keep him out of contact the rest of the spring, although the injury shouldn't prevent him from taking part in other drills.

The injury also will hinder Tevaga in another aspect of his development. He won't be able to lift weights using the hand.

``That hurts a lot,'' Tevaga said. ``It'll drop my bench press down. My squat, hopefully, won't drop. I need my legs to catch up with my upper body, but it's a big fall back with the weights.''

Tevaga said he broke the hand during Saturday's practice. He was blocking a defensive lineman when one of the Bruins' running backs ran his helmet into Tevaga's hand.

Tevaga received one piece of good news Monday when he was examined by the doctor. Initially, it was feared Tevaga would need surgery to repair the breaks. Instead, he will be in a cast for a month.

--Fixing the OL: UCLA ran the ball well the first half of 2004 but averaged 71.5 yards in the final two games, netting just 2.1 yards per carry in those games. Offensive line coach Tom Cable said some of the drop-off was product of a fundamental breakdown by the offensive line.

Cable, also the offensive coordinator, said the lack of fundamentals stemmed from poor footwork and not properly using vision.

``Too much crossover in the second step and with the eyes, we're not seeing our targets all the time and long enough,'' Cable said. ``It's not just seeing your world, but looking around you. We're not very good at that, and that creates inconsistencies.''

--QB talk: UCLA coach Karl Dorrell said injured quarterback Drew Olson is recovering well from reconstructive knee surgery and could be ready by training camp in August. The starting job appears to be his to lose, despite the presence of high-profile recruit Ben Olson and the solid play of David Koral this spring.

``We're not going to discount (Drew Olson's) experience in this offense,'' Dorrell said. ``Until he's unseated, he's the starter.''

--Looking good: After watching practice film for a week, Bruins coach Karl Dorrell said depth at cornerback has been noticeable. Trey Brown, a starter half of last season, Rodney Van, Michael Norris and Marcus Cassel were cited by Dorrell for their strong play.

``I think those four guys are going to be solid, solid players for us at corner,'' Dorrell said.

--Odds and ends: Because of class conflicts, defensive tackle C.J. Niusulu and offensive guard Robert Cleary were not at practice Monday. ... Dorrell said offensive lineman Marc Villafuerte's ailing knee would be checked today by a doctor. ... Bruins defensive tackle Kevin Brown is having an impressive spring, dominating and being involved in a lot of plays. ... Fullback Michael Pitre was held out of practice Monday with a sore hamstring.

Brian Dohn, [phone]

brian.dohn(at)dailynews.com

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UCLA quarterback Drew Olson, expected back from knee surgery in August, is the starter until somebody unseats him.

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images