UCLA junior Drew Olson and Stanford sophomore Trent Edwards have
been good friends since high school back in the Bay Area, but this
marks the first occasion the two will square off on the field.
“He’s one of the closer guys I know,” Olson said.
“I’ve spent the most time with him out of anyone I know
in college sports. We developed a friendship working out with a
quarterback coach back at home.” Edwards and Olson both
shared time as starters last season, but Edwards didn’t get
into the Stanford-UCLA game, while Olson entered the game in the
fourth quarter. This season both have been full-time starters.
Edwards, who will start despite being taken out of last
week’s game against Oregon after a rough hit injured his
shoulder and left him groggy, has thrown for 203.3 yards per game
with eight TDs and five interceptions. Olson’s numbers are
better at 228.3 yards per game with 14 TDs and nine interceptions.
Despite their friendship and mutual respect off the field, Olson
was quite clear about how he feels once the game starts.
“Trent is really cerebral with his game,” Olson said.
“He knows what’s going on, knows the offense inside and
out, takes care of football, and makes plays. “But I
don’t hope he has a good game. Every other week except this
week.”
CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM TO BE HONORED: UCLA’s
homecoming game has an added element of tradition this year, as it
marks the 50th anniversary of the Bruins’ lone national
championship. The 1954 squad will hold a reunion dinner on campus
on Friday and will be honored between the first and second quarter
of Saturday’s game against Stanford. The team finished a
perfect 9-0 but was not allowed to play in the Rose Bowl against
Ohio State because of a rule that prohibited teams from playing
there two years in a row. UCLA was voted the national champion in
the United Press International Poll, but shared the national
championship with the Rose Bowl winning Buckeyes, who claimed first
in the Associated Press Poll. The current Bruin squad has something
planned with their champion predecessors, but coach Karl Dorrell
would not elaborate. “We’ve talked about it,” he
said. “There’s something planned, but I’m not at
liberty to say.”
INJURY UPDATE: Dorrell said that sophomore
defensive end Justin Hickman has made positive strides in his
recovery from an ankle injury two weeks ago and will see
“between 20-30 plays” on Saturday … The swelling in
redshirt freshman safety Chris Horton’s foot has gone down
but he will still be unavailable Saturday.