Quarterback Ben Olson returned to practice on Tuesday, roughly a
month after going down with a knee injury in UCLA’s game
against Arizona on Oct. 7. Olson, who tore his MCL, was expected to
be out for four to six weeks but has managed to recover in the low
end of that range, surprising his coach.
“He looks a little rusty, but not as rusty as I thought he
would be,” coach Karl Dorrell said. “He looked like he
was ready to stand in the pocket and take some reps. He’s not
quite 100 percent but he looked better than I thought he was going
to look.”
Still, despite the recent return to practice, Olson is unlikely
to play on Saturday due to his lack of play over the last four
weeks. Dorrell was also unwilling to say that he would immediately
get the starting job back once he is back to form.
“Not necessarily,” Dorrell said on Olson starting
next week in Tempe against Arizona State. “We’re going
to see. We want to play with whoever is going to give us our best
opportunity. Pat’s our guy we’re going to focus in
on.”
Olson could work himself into being the No. 2 quarterback this
weekend if he has a good recovery from Tuesday’s practice,
Dorrell said. Ultimately, how he feels today will determine how
much he practices this week and thus how much responsibility he
will be given on Saturday against Oregon State. If he’s not
sore Thursday, it should be a good indication of what he’ll
be able to do for the game.
“If he has no setbacks from today, and he looks as good
tomorrow, he’ll have a good shot of being our No. 2,”
Dorrell said. “I’d like to get him in (gameday
form).”
Olson was his own biggest critic on Tuesday, feeling the
frustration that comes from having to spend so much time off and
not being able to trust his body completely.
“I was a little rusty,” Olson said. “My
knee’s a little sore. It was nice to take some snaps and get
my feet wet again. (I just need to work on) my mobility and getting
away from center and being able to be explosive. I’m kind of
frustrated that I can’t really move all that well.”
The man who has taken the helm for Olson as the starting
quarterback since the injury was happy to see his competition back
in the race for the starter’s spot.
“It was good,” quarterback Pat Cowan said. “It
was nice to see him get some reps in. It’s great to have him
back out there. It’s good to see he’s doing better. The
competition is always good for the team. I’m happy to have
him back.”
Olson went 4-1 as a starter, whereas Cowan is 0-4, although one
of the wins for Olson came against Arizona, a game in which Cowan
played three quarters. Cowan’s four starts have come against
tougher competition, however, as he has started against Oregon,
Notre Dame and Cal.
Olson is eager to get back on the field.
“I hope (I’m ready to go this weekend),” Olson
said. “We’ll see how it goes for the rest of the week.
I have to be able to move a little bit better than I was moving
today. I was encouraged just to take a snap.”
INJURY REPORT: Running back Kahlil Bell did a
little light practicing on the side, but was unable to compete in
team practicing. He has an ankle injury and has been unable to play
in the last two games. Linebacker Christian Taylor, who has been
nursing an ankle injury for a few weeks, watched much of practice
from the sidelines, although he was in uniform. He has played each
week since the injury and is expected to play this week. Linebacker
Korey Bosworth, who took a hit against Cal that caused a
concussion, was cleared to practice, but was given a day off of
contact. Fullback Michael Pitre had a little soreness according to
Dorrell, but he practiced.