Just a day after playing in his first game in three years at UCLA, quarterback Osaar Rasshan has been named the Bruin starter for this weekend’s game against Arizona State.
Coach Karl Dorrell named Rasshan his starter at Monday’s press conference.
Two other Bruin quarterbacks have been ruled out for the game. Ben Olson is still working his way back from a knee injury, and Pat Cowan has a collapsed lung and a concussion. Redshirt freshman McLeod Bethel-Thompson will be the backup.
“He played with a lot of courage and heart (against Arizona),” Dorrell said of Rasshan. “He made some plays out there. Given that it was his first time on the field and that it was a road game, it was pretty encouraging to see how he responded.”
Rasshan entered the game with just over 12 minutes left in the third quarter. He completed just three passes in 10 attempts but did rush for 57 yards and led UCLA to 13 points. Most importantly, he provided a spark for the Bruin offense, which had stalled under Cowan.
“This week of practice might be different,” Rasshan said Saturday after the game. “I think the coaches trust me, and the thing about being an athletic quarterback is that the coaches can’t always see your talents in practice because of the red (noncontact) jersey.”
The redshirt sophomore played his best before UCLA’s final drive. On the last possession, though, when Rasshan wasn’t scrambling outside the pocket because of time issues, he threw three incompletions and committed a costly delay-of-game penalty.
“I thought he managed the game pretty well,” Dorrell said. “He had a delay-of-game penalty toward the end of the game, but other than that he really managed the huddle well.”
The quarterback situation isn’t set for the rest of the season, though. Cowan was driven back to Los Angeles from Tucson on Monday because doctors didn’t want him to fly because of his collapsed lung. But Dorrell said that the tests performed on Cowan were negative and that he could return quickly, although there is no timetable set right now.
Olson, who started the Bruins’ first game of the season but who has now missed the past four games, will work in individual drills this week in practice. Dorrell said that Olson is progressing well.
Dorrell hasn’t used the injuries as an excuse for his team’s play, although he did say Monday that he has never seen so many injuries in one season.
“We’ve got to continue to improve with what we have,” Dorrell said.
BRUINS FOCUSED: It was a short press conference Monday at the Morgan Center, and Dorrell answered just one question about his tenuous job security.
Dorrell was asked if the omnipresent rumors about his status could be a distraction to the team.
“I don’t think (questions about my future) will be a distraction,” he said. “Our players want to win regardless of what’s being said about my status. We have no control over any of those things. … The only thing we can do is play better football.”
INJURY REPORT: The Bruins’ health concerns extend far beyond the quarterback position.
The running back corps has been depleted. UCLA’s top rusher Kahlil Bell is out for the year with a torn ACL. Next on the depth chart is senior Chris Markey, who injured an ankle against Arizona and is now listed as day-to-day.
Behind Markey was sophomore Christian Ramirez, but Ramirez suffered a concussion Saturday and is also listed as day-to-day.
The Bruins’ other two options at the position are sophomore Chane Moline and redshirt sophomore Craig Sheppard. Sheppard is not on scholarship and received the first carries of his career Saturday in Arizona.
Junior tight end Scott Glicksberg was also injured against the Wildcats, suffering an ACL sprain that will sideline him for two to three weeks.
On the opposite side of the ball, senior defensive tackle Brigham Harwell is still working back from a knee injury. Defensive tackle Jess Ward also has a knee injury but is expected to play against Arizona State.