Definite answers regarding the return of quarterback Matt Moore
remain hard to find from the UCLA football team.
For now, head coach Karl Dorrell maintains the same stance
he’s had since Moore’s week-one injury (a severe bone
bruise): A player should not lose his starting job to injury. But
it appears Moore will have to wait at least another week; Drew
Olson will have the quarterback starting position against
Arizona.
“Everything is the same as last week; nothing really has
changed,” Dorrell said. “We will continue to evaluate
Matt and see where he’s at. Drew has done a tremendous job
for us, and he’s our starter.
“But I’m not going to change my position.
We’ll do what’s best for the team.”
When asked about how much playing time Moore would see against
the Wildcats this Saturday, Dorrell could not give specifics.
“We’ll see,” he said. “We’ll see
how he does in practice. We want to make sure he’s fully
healthy and he has the capability necessary to perform.”
For Olson, the issue is moot, and he claims he never thinks
about it except when being questioned by reporters.
“All I can do is go out here and get better each
week,” Olson said Monday. “If it’s not good
enough, they’ll change it.”
Olson’s performance has clearly improved; the team’s
offense has recently shown more signs of life, especially in last
week’s 46-16 win over Washington.
With the team riding a two-game win streak, the roles of the two
quarterbacks have become blurred.
While Moore had clearly stepped into the leadership role by the
end of this season’s training camp, his ability is unproven
with less than a quarter of play before the injury.
On the other hand, many people have suggested Olson does not
have the same leadership qualities as Moore, but after several
weeks of improvement, coaches seem to be in no rush to push Moore
back into the lineup.
“Drew has gotten better week after week,” Dorrell
said. “He’s our war daddy; he gets hit a lot, makes a
mistake or two but gets back in there. Those are all the traits you
want from a quarterback.”
But when asked if it was possible for Olson to become a
permanent starter, the only reply Dorrell could give was, “I
don’t know.”
The facts Dorrell does know?
“We’ll always err on the side of health,” he
said. “We want to make sure kids are completely
healthy.”
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Defensive end Asi Faoa is listed as questionable for
Saturday’s game against Arizona after re-aggravating a
sprained ankle last weekend.
“Faoa is sore, but he could be ready to play next
weekend,” Dorrell said. “He’s not wearing a boot,
so that’s always a good sign.”
Fellow defenseman Jarrad Page will be doubtful, after suffering
from heavy soreness in his right shoulder. The middle linebacker
will not face much contact in practice this week, and senior Kevin
Brant will be the likely replacement.
Meanwhile, free safety Ben Emanuel II and linebacker Brandon
Chillar reported soreness, but neither have significant
injuries.
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The kickoff time for the Oct. 18 game against Cal has been
changed to 12:30 p.m.