Introductions are commonly reserved for the beginning of a
season, not seven games into it. Yet when UCLA quarterback Drew
Olson looked around the huddle midway through the first quarter
Saturday against Oregon State, he saw a couple of faces he was not
used to. With center Mike McCloskey having sprained his right
shoulder and tackle Brian Abraham out with the flu, back-up center
Aaron Meyer and back-up tackle Noah Sutherland manned the offensive
line, performing admirably in the starters’ absence. The
Bruin offensive line, missing three of its starters in McCloskey,
Abraham and Chris Joseph, only yielded one sack to Oregon State and
overpowered Beaver defenders in the run game, allowing the Bruins
to rack up 235 yards on the ground. “I was very pleased with
(Meyer’s) growth in that game, coming off the bench and
having not been playing,” UCLA coach Karl Dorrell said.
“Same thing with Noah Sutherland. Now we have two strong
tackles that we can utilize if anyone goes down.” Prior to
Saturday’s game, neither Meyer nor Sutherland had seen
significant action in the 2005 season, and only Sutherland played
in 2004, at defensive tackle. And while Sutherland had the luxury
of taking snaps in practice while Abraham was ill, Meyer had never
snapped the ball to Drew Olson until the 5:19 mark of the first
quarter of a pivotal conference game, making for a nerve-wracking
first encounter. In his first play at center, Meyer was whistled
for a false start. “I think (Meyer) was nervous,” Olson
said. “But (the center) is so important to a quarterback;
everything to a quarterback. When Mike went down, it was tough. But
Meyer came in and he played great. He got me the ball and that was
his main job.”
UCLA MOVES UP IN BCS: The Bruins moved up to
sixth place in the latest BCS rankings released on Monday, up three
spots from last week. UCLA is still the lowest-ranked team of the
six remaining undefeated teams in the country. Across town, USC was
bumped from its perch at No. 1 in the BCS and is currently second
behind frontrunner Texas.
DEAFENING SILENCE: Though this week’s
game against Stanford will be on the road, combating the crowd
noise won’t be an issue, according to Maurice Drew.
“Stanford doesn’t really get loud,” Drew said.
“It’s a nice mellow, relaxed atmosphere. It lulls you
to sleep.”
RECENT COMMITMENTS: Chane Moline, brother of
freshman defensive tackle Chase Moline and walk-on junior
linebacker Chad Moline, firmed up his commitment to UCLA following
the team’s victory over Oregon State on Saturday. Chane, who
currently plays at Mission Viejo High, is one of the top-rated
fullbacks in the country, according to multiple recruiting
services. … Alterraun Verner of Mayfair High School in Lakewood
also gave the Bruins a verbal commitment over the weekend. Verner,
a 6-foot, 175-pound defensive back and wide receiver, is a
16-year-old senior.
INJURIES: Center Mike McCloskey, who sprained
his right shoulder in the first quarter of Saturday’s game,
has a 50-50 chance to play against Stanford, according to Dorrell.
An MRI on the shoulder was inconclusive, and more tests are
expected. … Defensive tackle Kenneth Lombard, who sprained his
ankle in the second quarter Saturday and did not return, is not
expected to miss any practice time this week. … Despite a mild
knee sprain, Marcus Everett is expected to practice and play this
week. … Offensive tackle Brian Abraham, who did not start on
Saturday because of a lingering flu, has recovered and is expected
to play this week. … Kevin Brown had the screws removed from his
left ankle on Monday, but Dorrell said he does not think he will
utilize the defensive tackle this late into the season. Brown will
be eligible to redshirt if he does not play in any games this
season.
EXTRA POINTS: Stanford’s defensive
coordinator, Tom Hayes, held the same position at UCLA when Dorrell
was a player (1982-86). “It’ll be interesting playing
against him,” Dorrell said. … UCLA’s game against
Arizona on Nov. 6 is scheduled to kick off at 3:22 p.m. local time
and will be televised by Fox Sports Net West 2.