COLLEGE FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : UCLA : Quarterback Fien Sharp in Return

After missing most of last week because of a thigh injury, starting quarterback Ryan Fien returned to practice Monday and looked sharp, Coach Terry Donahue said.

Fien, a 6-foot-4 junior, impressed Donahue by picking up where he had left off before missing last Saturday’s scrimmage because of his injury.

“I thought that he would have shown more rust than he did,” said Donahue, after Fien completed several long passes in the morning practice. “He looked really good. He threw a couple of good balls and made some good decisions. It was nice to have him back out there.”

Three starting offensive linemen also returned to practice: center Mike Flanagan, guard James Christensen and tackle Chad Overhauser.

The Bruins also got a lift with the return of linebacker Donnie Edwards, who was injured early in Saturday’s scrimmage.

*

With starting tailback Karim Abdul-Jabbar (formerly Sharmon Shah) slowed because of a leg injury and his backup, Skip Hicks, sidelined at least two months because of a knee injury, freshman Ryan Roques has been switched from wide receiver to tailback.

Roques, whose older brother Aaron is a sophomore defensive back for the Bruins, will be used a lot this week, Donahue said. On Monday, Roques, who played quarterback and defensive back at Canyon Springs High last year, fumbled twice but otherwise was impressive.

“He’s not 100% because he has an ankle injury, but he looked good,” Donahue said. “We plan to give him some work in our next scrimmage.”

*

UCLA will continue to practice twice a day until Wednesday, then will concentrate on preparation for its season opener, Sept. 2 against Miami at the Rose Bowl.