Olson Quickly Finds Comfort Zone

UCLA quarterback Drew Olson may not have grown an inch since last season, but he sure looked a lot taller leading the Bruin offense throughout the first day of spring football practice Wednesday.

“It feels good to come out there and be the man,” said Olson, who split time with Matt Moore at quarterback last season. “It’s good to get going again ... to get the kinks out and fix what was wrong from last year.”

A year ago, Olson and Moore battled throughout the spring for the starting job, which was not settled until Moore gained the edge in fall training camp.

But Moore got injured in the first game of the season. Olson stepped in and played well enough to earn the role as starter by the end of the season, which did not sit well with Moore, who transferred.

So without any real competition, Moore took the practice field as the Bruins’ undeniable leader on offense. It hasn’t gone unnoticed by second-year Coach Karl Dorrell.

“You can see that there definitely was some carry-over from what has happened from a year ago,” said Dorrell, whose team finished last season 6-7, including a five-game losing streak down the stretch. “When you look at Drew Olson ... he looked very, very poised and looked like he knew what he was doing out there in directing the offense. That was very pleasing to see that.”

With new offensive coordinator Tom Cable and quarterbacks coach Jim Svoboda in the fold, Olson said he was excited about the Bruins’ revamped system. Although UCLA will run basically the same version of Dorrell’s West Coast offense that it used last season, much of the terminology has changed.

But because Cable and Dorrell have worked together in the past, Olson said the adjustment to become the No. 1 quarterback has not been difficult.

“It’s easier to go out there and play,” Olson said. “There’s no added stress for thinking about your competition. It feels good to take control of the offense and try to get better with it.”

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Starting safety Jarrad Page, expected to play a key role in the secondary, suffered a back injury in UCLA’s baseball game against Pepperdine on Wednesday. Page said he hoped to practice with the football team next week but would continue to play center field for the Bruins until baseball season ended.... Starting center Mike McCloskey, who had off-season ankle surgery, did not practice because of a pulled chest muscle.... UCLA practiced in helmets and shorts Wednesday and will do the same today. The Bruins are not expected to wear full pads until next week.