Bruins quarterback has team off to 4-0 start.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Drew Olson finally wised up. "I don't think so much when I'm out there anymore," the UCLA quarterback said. "I just play the game and enjoy it." There certainly seems to be something different this year about Olson, who has started most of the Bruins' games since midway through his freshman year in 2002. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound senior's improved play has keyed the Bruins' 4-0 start after they went 6-6 last year and 6-7 in 2003. He has completed 85-of-122 for 1,049 yards, with eight touchdowns and two interceptions this fall. His first three years, he threw 26 interceptions and 33 touchdown passes. Perhaps even more important this season, he seems to have grown into his role as a team leader.
"When Drew Olson talks, we listen," tight end Marcedes Lewis said. Olson's performance in the Bruins' come-from-behind win over Washington could be considered an example of his coming of age as quarterback. After struggling and throwing a pair of interceptions in the first half, he passed for two second-half touchdowns, then engineered a 73-yard march in the closing minutes for the go-ahead score as UCLA beat the upset-minded Huskies 21-17. Olson doesn't believe the 2004 Bruins would have won that game. "Last year, we had a couple of chances to come back in the fourth quarter and we stumbled," said Olson, who will lead the No. 20 Bruins against No. 10 California on Saturday at the Rose Bowl. Karl Dorrell obviously liked the way the quarterback rallied the Bruins. "Drew Olson threw his first two picks of the season, so that's over with now, he's finally thrown an interception. For him to respond the way he did in the fourth quarter shows a lot about his character," Dorrell said. Olson has made a personal comeback as well. He underwent surgery on his left knee last January after injuring it in the Las Vegas Bowl loss to Wyoming, and it was uncertain whether he would be able to recover quickly enough to be at full strength this season. He also faced a battle for the job since the Bruins had landed Ben Olson, a once-highly regarded high school quarterback who spent a year as a redshirt at BYU, then went on a church mission before returning to college. The two are not related. Drew Olson had the edge on the starting job during fall practice, and Ben Olson hurt his throwing hand just before the season began and has yet to play a down. If Drew Olson, who had to sit out spring practice, had any doubters among his teammates, he won them over during fall camp. "He's always been a leader. When he was hurt in the spring, usually if a guy gets hurt and he's fighting for a spot, he might be selfish, but Drew did the total opposite," UCLA tailback Maurice Drew said. "He went out there and helped Ben Olson, helped David Koral, helped Pat Cowan, did a great job of making sure they understood the offense. "Then when they had competition in camp, he just came out there and competed and won his spot. That tells you what kind of a competitor he is, to come back from a torn ACL to do what he did and to be our starting quarterback." Olson's still working on parts of his game, including how to properly vault over the defense and into the end zone. He tried to dive over Washington defenders near the goal line last weekend, but went head-over-heels and came up short. "I was looking to land on my feet, not my head," Olson said with a grin.
No comments:
Post a Comment