After making every throw this year, quarterback Drew Olson’s
season ended prematurely when he was injured midway through the
second quarter of the Las Vegas Bowl on Thursday. After a slow
first quarter, Olson seemed to have picked up some momentum in the
second quarter when he threaded the needle on a post to junior
receiver Junior Taylor for a touchdown. However, on his first pass
attempt on the next drive, he couldn’t find an open receiver and
desperately unloaded the ball as he was hit in the backfield.Â
The play resulted in an intentional grounding call, but that was
hardly the worst bit of news. Olson sprained his left knee on the
hit, and was resorted to the sidelines to watch the rest of UCLA’s
disappointing loss to Wyoming. "It’s a real heartbreak,"
Olson said. "Injuries are part of the game. Watching on the
sidelines was probably the hardest thing I’ve had to do ever. I
wanted to be out there so bad helping the team and I felt helpless
sitting on the sideline." Olson’s replacement, junior David Koral,
saw his first significant action as a Bruin, and was impressive in
his UCLA debut. He completed two tough throws for touchdowns to
senior receiver Craig Bragg and finished the game 7-for-12 with 89
yards.  "I was so hyped to enter the game. I’ve been
waiting for that rush my whole life," Koral said. "I’m pleased with
my play. But we still lost, so it doesn’t really matter." Olson
will undergo tests to determine the extent of the injury to his
knee, even though his season, and that of the Bruins, ended
miserably.
SENIORS’ FAREWELL: Although they may not be
able to remember the game fondly, three of the Bruins’ key seniors
can remember the Las Vegas Bowl positively for what they did
personally. Bragg led the Bruins with seven receptions and 95 yards
and also scored two touchdowns. Punter Chris Kluwe finished a
spectacular season with four punts downed inside the 20-yard line,
including two inside the five-yard line. Cornerback Matt Clark
picked off Wyoming’s Corey Bramlet in UCLA’s endzone and returned
the ball all the way to the UCLA 48, which was the longest return
in Las Vegas Bowl history.
NOTES: Senior receiver Tab Perry did not play
after rolling his ankle in practice earlier in the week … Senior
linebacker Benjamin Lorier and senior defensive lineman Eyoseph
Efseaff were suspended for the game for violating team rules …
Sophomore tailback Maurice Drew racked up 130 yards on 25 carries,
his fifth 100-yard game of the season … Drew also passed the
1,000-yard mark for the year, ending up with 1,018 … The 27,784
in attendance was the most ever for the Las Vegas Bowl.