Football: Football’s 3 weeks off a chance to revive skills

With an unprecedented double-bye week, the Bruins have plenty of time on their hands before facing No. 1 USC at the Rose Bowl on Dec. 4. The consecutive off-weeks left coach Karl Dorrell wondering what to do with all that time. “I’ve never had three weeks off anywhere I’ve been,” Dorrell said. “I’ve had to […]

Football: Markey steps up in Drew’s absence

EUGENE, Ore. “”mdash; When tailback Maurice Drew went down last week with a badly sprained ankle, there was the question of how UCLA would make up the 100-plus yards he normally averages. Saturday, true freshman tailback Chris Markey answered that question. Markey led the Bruins with a career high of over 200 all-purpose yards and […]

Football: Bruin credits team for his rise to premier punter

Unlike most starters, Chris Kluwe would prefer to be used as sparingly as possible. As a punter, the more time he spends on the sidelines, the better the Bruin offense is likely doing. “Ideally, I want to be punting in the fourth quarter with the second-team offense because we’re winning by 40 points,” he said. […]

Football: Bragg’s record “˜bittersweet’

Late in the fourth quarter, on a simple five-yard reception, receiver Craig Bragg made UCLA history. But few people had time to notice. Bragg broke the UCLA career receptions record Saturday, surpassing Kevin Jordan with his 180th catch. Unfortunately for Bragg, the moment didn’t pan out how he expected. “It’s a bittersweet feeling,” he said. […]

[Football preview] Nation’s top recruit back to watch Bruins play

Finally home after a two-year Mormon mission, quarterback Ben Olson, perhaps the nation’s top recruit, will be in attendance Saturday for UCLA’s game against Washington State on an unofficial visit. Olson, no relation to junior quarterback Drew Olson, is the Bruins’ top recruiting prospect. Coming out of Thousand Oaks High School, the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Olson […]

Football: Low penalty total a sign of improvement

One small sign of improvement in the UCLA football team has barely been mentioned this season, and it’s buried deep within the conference statistics. This season, the Bruins have made a complete turnaround in penalties committed. Last season, UCLA ranked near the bottom of the Pac-10, racking up almost 1,000 yards off 109 individual penalties. […]