Ever since Ben Olson skyrocketed to superstardom after his first
start, the redshirt sophomore has slowly come back down to earth.
Olson put up stellar numbers in his debut this season against Utah,
leading the Bruins to an impressive season-opening 31-10 win. But
as of late, he has struggled with consistency and the ability to
make crucial plays under pressure. “I’m just trying to
get better,” Olson said. “You know, I am just trying to
go out there and do my best every week.” Against Stanford,
Olson failed to throw a touchdown pass for the second consecutive
weekend and seemed out of sync for much of the game. But despite
his funk, the coaching staff is fully confident that the big lefty
will be able to get back on track. “He has had some tough
looks,” offensive coordinator Jim Svoboda said. “The
thing that he has to grow from is just the speed of the game and
getting through his progression. This is pretty common stuff for
guys who have only four games under their belt. There is a lot of
information a quarterback has to process.” Olson burned the
Utes for 318 yards and three touchdown passes in his first game,
prompting many to pencil Olson in as a future Heisman Trophy
candidate. While no one is ready to reverse their expectations of
the southpaw, his performance as of late has reminded everyone that
he is in fact still relatively inexperienced. In three games since
the season opener, Olson’s numbers have waned. He has tossed
only two touchdowns, both against Rice, while also piling up five
interceptions. “Experience-wise, we are just trying to be
realistic about where we are and not panic,” Svoboda said of
his work with Olson. “We are doing enough good things for
people to be optimistic.”
OLSON ON THE RUN: One aspect of Olson’s
game that seems to be growing is his ability to scramble into open
territory and make plays with his legs ““ though this part of
Olson’s repertoire is still a work in progress. “We got
him to part one, which is actually getting him to scramble,”
Svoboda said. “Now we have to teach him what to do once he
actually gets outside the pocket.” Olson made many notable
runs during the Stanford game and took a couple hits from hungry
Stanford defensive players as a reward. While any yards he can make
up on the ground are always welcome, Olson knows he will have to
learn to slide at some point in order to avoid injury. “It
didn’t feel too good to take those hits,” Olson said.
“I really have never had to slide before so this is a new
experience for me.”
TIGHT ENDS KEY: While the Bruins have a deep
and talented wide receiving corps, it has been two tight ends who
are popping out on the UCLA statistics sheet. Sophomore Logan
Paulsen currently leads the team in yards and receptions with 10
grabs for 144 yards, and fellow sophomore Ryan Moya is third on the
team in yards receiving. “They are both outstanding
receivers,” Svoboda said of his tight end duo. “The
thing about our offense is that you never know. On any given
Saturday anyone could get the lion’s share of receptions.
It’s just based on the defense we are playing and who gets
open, and they just happen to get open.”
NOTES: Coach Karl Dorrell noted that senior
receiver Joe Cowan is close to returning. Though he will not play
this weekend, Dorrell is hopeful that Cowan may return against
Oregon on Oct. 14. Defensive players Chase Moline and Michael
Norris, both missing time because of injuries, are making progress
but are still a ways away from returning to the lineup.