Olson will have to be at the top of his game

Quarterback Ben Olson re-starts his career Saturday at Stanford, carrying with him UCLA’s high expectations.

Reaching goals the Bruins players covet -- a Pacific 10 Conference title and a berth to the Rose Bowl -- require offensive consistency that eluded UCLA in 2006. That would seem to make Olson’s success essential.

The thought brings a shrug and more acceptance than denial.

“I understand it’s a team game and I just have to do my job,” Olson said.

But he also acknowledges, “I have a big responsibility. As long as I do my job, make smart decisions and take care of the ball, everything else will fall into place.”

Olson spent training camp sharpening his decision making and absorbing offensive coordinator Jay Norvell’s scheme.

The West Coast offense the Bruins will employ requires quick reads and a quick release. Those are areas in which Olson improved during the last two weeks, Norvell said.

“He’s crisper, more confident and more decisive in what he’s doing,” Norvell said. “I think he’s getting comfortable in his new digs. The last two weeks I’ve seen a big change. His feet are quicker, and he knows where he wants to go with the football.”

Olson passed for 318 yards and three touchdowns in the opener last season against Utah. But he meandered through the next four games before suffering a knee injury against Arizona and did not play the remainder of the season.

With 10 starters returning on a defense that was ranked 35th nationally, much of the responsibility of reaching the high expectations -- the Bruins are ranked as high as 10th in some preseason polls -- rests with the offense.

That would seem to put the pressure on Olson, although Coach Karl Dorrell tries to deflect that line of thinking.

“It would be different if he was a three-year starter and had all these young weapons, and maybe things would be on his shoulders,” Dorrell said. “I think it’s different because of the experience back on both sides of the ball. There’s a lot of shared responsibility.”

Dorrell gave one-year scholarships to walk-on defensive end Tom Blake, center Micah Reed and linebacker Joshua Edwards.

It was another indication how fast Edwards, a junior, has risen in the eyes of coaches. He is working with the second-team defense in certain situations and pushing Shawn Otis for the No. 2 spot behind Reggie Carter.

“His ability to change direction, his speed and aggressiveness, it fits our defense,” defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker said. “Those are the type of players we’re trying to put together. When he got here, we knew he had some ability, but we had to see how well he picked up the defense.”

Blake gambled that he could catch on at UCLA when he transferred from UC Davis, where he gave up a scholarship. He sat out as a redshirt last season and will get significant time as Nikola Dragovic’s backup.

“It feels great, knowing that all the hard work paid off,” said Blake, a junior.

Fullback Michael Pitre (knee) and tailback Chane Moline (wrist) are the only players Dorrell has ruled out of Saturday’s game. . . . Dorrell said that center Chris Joseph (hip flexor) would play. . . . Christian Ramirez, making the transition from safety to tailback, returned kickoffs with the second unit.

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chris.foster@latimes.com