Olson vs. Olson Isn’t Adversarial

The two players competing to be UCLA’s starting quarterback are not related, but, at times, Drew Olson and Ben Olson seem as if they are.

Drew, a 22-year-old senior, and Ben, a 22-year-old redshirt freshman, have known each other since they were high school underclassmen at a summer football camp.

They have been friends since Drew was starting the final five games of his freshman season at UCLA and Ben was redshirting at Brigham Young. That bond has become stronger since Ben transferred to UCLA in January after a two-year Mormon mission and a redshirt season at BYU.

“Drew is a great player. ... I wish him all the best in what he does, and I know that he’s pulling for me,” said Ben Olson, who completed two touchdown passes in Saturday’s scrimmage at Drake Stadium.

“That’s the thing with us. We don’t have any animosity toward each other. We just want each other to succeed. We’ve talked a lot about the whole situation, and whatever is best for the team is what we’re for.”

Drew is a two-year starter who ranks fifth on the Bruins’ all-time passing list with 5,334 yards. His 422 completions are fourth-best. But after sitting out spring practice while rehabilitating his left knee, which underwent surgery, Drew did not have his starting job waiting for him at the start of training camp.

Although Coach Karl Dorrell said he considered Drew the front-runner, he opened the competition to senior David Koral, redshirt freshman Patrick Cowan and both Olsons. Two weeks into camp, it’s down to Drew and Ben, which, according to Dorrell, is bringing out the best in both quarterbacks.

“This is the best camp I’ve had in college by far,” said Drew Olson, who displayed his newfound mobility with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Joe Cowan for the first score of the scrimmage. “I feel confident with where I’m at and where I’m going. It’s just begun, really.”

This year’s quarterback battle has gone a lot better for Drew than the one he had with Matt Moore two years ago. Olson lost that competition and began the season on the bench.

“I played pretty bad two years ago in camp, but that was pretty much me not performing,” said Drew, who ended up starting nine games as a sophomore. “I feel like I’ve had a good camp, and in my mind I feel, you know... “

Like the starter.

Dorrell says he’ll name a starter soon, maybe this week, because he doesn’t want uncertainty to be a distraction heading into the Bruins’ opener at San Diego State on Sept. 3.

Either way, the decision isn’t expected to affect the relationship between Drew and Ben.

“The good thing I like,” Dorrell said, “is that they both have a good enough bond with each other, competing against each other, but they are genuinely good people and good friends with one another too.”

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Senior linebacker Justin London made several big hits Saturday and led an energized defense that, compared with last season’s, seemed much improved against the run.

“The defense did a nice job, particularly in the red zone,” Dorrell said. “They held the offense to some field goals. ... You can tell we’ve improved quite a bit in our run defense.”

The Bruins will miss tackle Kevin Brown, who will be sidelined until October because of a high ankle sprain suffered Saturday, but they are encouraged by the play of young linemen Nikola Dragovic, William Snead, Kenneth Lombard, Chase Moline and Nathaniel Skaggs.

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Starting wide receivers Joe Cowan and Junior Taylor combined for five catches and 69 yards in the scrimmage. Not the numbers UCLA hopes to get during the season.

“We have to get more out of Joe and Junior, that’s the bottom line,” offensive coordinator Tom Cable said.

Highly regarded freshman receiver Gavin Ketchum, recently sidelined because of a shoulder sprain, is expected to return to practice today.... The Bruins did not practice Sunday but will have twice-a-day workouts today and Wednesday, the last day of camp.