Dorrell: Axman Is Not a Concern

UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell said Thursday he was looking forward to his return to Washington, where he was offensive coordinator in 1999. He is not overly concerned about what kind of greeting he’ll get from Steve Axman, who lost his position as UCLA offensive coordinator last winter and now coaches the Huskies’ wide receivers.

“I’m worried about winning the football game, so I’m in pretty good shape from that standpoint,” Dorrell said, referring to Saturday’s contest, the Pacific 10 Conference opener for both teams. “The least of my concerns is whether he likes me or vice versa.”

Dorrell then said the two “don’t have any issues” and continued, “We’ve got a game to win, and he’s going to do his job of getting his people ready and I have to do the same.”

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Axman, who said when he departed that he felt as though he didn’t fit in with Dorrell’s system, was replaced by Tom Cable, head coach at Idaho the last four years. Cable seems to have instilled cohesion and confidence in the offense.

“That didn’t really happen last year,” sophomore running back Maurice Drew said. “We weren’t all on the same page. We were all doing different things, so it was kind of hard for us to know who [the offensive line] was blocking.

“But now me [and fellow tailback Manuel White Jr.] both know who we’re blocking on pass plays -- and the running back knows where the holes are going to be on run plays, and the linemen know where to go. There’s no messing up.”

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One of the keys to the Bruins’ success offensively has been their discipline. Through two games they have been penalized only six times for 40 yards, with only one penalty attributed to the offense: a false start by center Mike McCloskey in the opener against Oklahoma State.

That could change at raucous Husky Stadium, but the UCLA linemen say noise will not be a factor because they have prepared themselves for all situations. “We have this feeling we can all play well with each other and know how the other guy’s going to react to a certain play,” senior tackle Steven Vieira said. “We have a good feeling, and it has really connected with our running backs, and our receivers.”