If the UCLA football team could have taken a poll of things they
didn’t want to have happen this year, somewhere near the top
of the list would be quarterback Ben Olson getting hurt.
Sometimes no amount of wanting is going to keep something from
happening. Olson got hurt, and the Bruins are left with the
aftermath. A tear of his knee’s medial collateral ligament is
the diagnosis, and that can entail anywhere from four to six weeks
of recovery time. However, he will not need surgery, which would
have kept him out the entire year.
When Olson sustained a hit and remained motionless on the ground
against Arizona on Saturday, a collective questioning muttering
began in the stands. Is that Olson? How bad is it? Who’s his
backup? How many wins can this team get now? Isn’t Pat Cowan
a wide receiver?
Considering that the UCLA offense has had trouble getting going
this season, even with a five-star talent in Ben Olson at the helm,
the Bruins are in dire straits heading into the next two games
against Oregon and Notre Dame. There are many questions this team
will have to answer quickly if it wants to salvage the season.
How bad is an MCL tear?
The recovery time for an MCL tear can be up to six weeks,
depending on the severity. These next six weeks will bring the
toughest stretch the Bruins will face this year, as they will go
through both the Oregon and Notre Dame games (Oct. 14 and Oct. 21,
respectively). Olson had an MRI on Monday revealing the tear.
Is Pat Cowan more than just Joe’s little brother?
The younger Cowan was highly touted throughout training camp as
giving Olson a run for his money at the starting quarterback spot.
Despite the rhetoric, Cowan appeared to be inferior to Olson in
most quarterbacking respects. For the most part, Olson had the
physical tools, while Cowan appeared further along in knowledge of
the offense. In the game against Arizona, whether by coincidence or
not, the UCLA offensive coaches played to Cowan’s strengths
when he came in, running many play action bootleg routes. In that
format, Cowan excelled, completing 20 of 29 passes for two
touchdowns. Still, he threw a few passes into coverage and did not
demonstrate the arm strength that Olson had in his first three
games.
For many Bruin fans, simply the fact that a Bruin quarterback
was not throwing interceptions as prolifically as Olson did against
Stanford and Washington was reason for glee, which leads into the
next question.
Should Cowan be the starter if/when Olson returns to health?
Coach Karl Dorrell named Olson the starter after training camp
in the fall and has not backed down on that statement, despite
Olson’s struggles. Olson is the guy, and Cowan, unless he
turns out to be a world-beater in the next two games against Oregon
and Notre Dame, is simply a backup filling a role.
Can Cowan lead the team to victory against Oregon and Notre
Dame?
Oregon lost badly to Cal last week, and Notre Dame has not
looked the part of a preseason No. 2 team, losing to Michigan
earlier this year. Still, the Bruins have had their own troubles,
losing to Washington 29-19 after leading 16-0.
Even with Olson, the Bruins would be heavy underdogs against the
Ducks and the Irish. The UCLA defense will be severely tested by
those two high-powered offenses and it will likely come down to
whether the No. 2 national ranking for UCLA’s defense is
truly legitimate. If the Bruins’ defense turns out to be a
dud against a real offense, then it won’t matter who UCLA has
at quarterback.
Will Osaar Rasshan see real playing time this season?
Dorrell said in Monday’s press conference that the coaches
would start looking at ways to work Rasshan’s unique athletic
talents into the offense, so they will be ready if he ends up
having to take serious snaps. If Cowan struggles, Rasshan could see
some time, but if he does see any kind of significant playing time,
it will mean nothing good for UCLA.
Though Cowan has the makings of a legitimate quarterback,
Rasshan does not yet have the polished passing skills to excel in
the West Coast offense. In this system, it would be difficult to
maximize his talents.