With Ben Olson sidelined for an undetermined length of time and
the team coming up against its roughest patch of the schedule,
points will be at a premium for the Bruins. Enter redshirt senior
kicker Justin Medlock. Going up against three ranked teams in four
weeks, UCLA will be scrapping for every point it can, meaning
Medlock may be an even bigger factor than he has been now that
Olson is out. “We are going to need points however we can get
them,” Medlock said. “You never know how many field
goals are going to make a difference.” A case could be made
early on that Medlock was the team’s most productive player,
single-handedly keeping the Bruins’ offense competitive in
the games against Rice and Washington as he hit four field goals in
each of those contests from as far as 51 yards out. This Saturday
could be much the same, with redshirt sophomore Pat Cowan making
his first collegiate start against a raucous home crowd at Oregon.
While Cowan did a fine job hoisting the Bruins to victory against
Arizona last Saturday, it remains to be seen how productive the
offense will be against a tougher Oregon defense, which makes the
production UCLA receives from Medlock’s position all the more
important. “This is Pat’s first start, so you never
know how it will go,” Medlock said. “Hopefully he will
take them in the end zone and I will just have to kick extra
points, but we just need to get points however we can and I am just
approaching this like any other game.”
MARKEY ON THE RUN: Junior tailback Chris Markey
will be looking to get back on track Saturday after a subpar
performance against Arizona at home a week ago. “The run game
was not there last week,” Markey said. “We just have to
focus on the details and our execution.” Against a staunch
Wildcat defense that was keying in on the run, Markey managed a
meager 40 yards on the ground, averaging 2.9 yards per carry
““ his lowest average in any game thus far. If the Bruins hope
to compensate for the loss of Olson, Markey will need to bear even
more of a load on offense. The junior sees no difference between
Cowan and Olson in terms of the game plan; he feels that if a team
takes Cowan lightly, the quarterback will open up the pass game
enough that Markey will get more room on the ground. “Our
unit knows what we have to do,” Markey said. “Last week
they were stacked against the run and we got them with the pass.
Some teams may think that Pat can’t throw, but coming out of
camp we knew what he is capable of and as soon as they see that,
the running game will come through.”
MCGEE BACK ON OFFENSE: After being moved to
defense early on in the season, freshman Jeremy McGee has made the
switch back to the offensive side of the ball. “(The coaches)
just said that they want the ball in my hands more, that’s
basically why,” said McGee, who was playing defensive back
for the first five games. McGee, a running back by trade, will see
time mostly as a situational back, even playing slot receiver at
times. Having played both positions in high school, McGee feels the
transition back to offense will not be a problem. “I feel
like I can play all positions,” McGee said. “So I
don’t think it is a problem at all.”
INJURY REPORT: Redshirt junior linebacker
Christian Taylor, who suffered a sprained left ankle in last
week’s win against Arizona, will be a game-time decision,
according to coach Karl Dorrell. Redshirt senior tight end J.J.
Hair is still out, though he has begun running.