Other Olson Waits Patiently

Remember Ben Olson, the redshirt freshman who challenged senior Drew Olson for the starting quarterback job in training camp, only to suffer an injury two weeks before UCLA’s first game?

Well, he’s still around and looking better than ever -- even though he hasn’t played for the undefeated and No. 8-ranked Bruins, who play Oregon State today at the Rose Bowl.

“It’s been good because we’re winning,” said Olson, who transferred to UCLA after a two-year Mormon mission and a redshirt season at Brigham Young. “But of course I would like to be out there playing.”

After suffering a small bone fracture in his passing hand and sitting out the first two games, Olson has played catch-up in practice while Drew Olson has emerged as one of seven Unitas Award finalists, given to the nation’s top college quarterback.

Since Week 3 of the season, the quarterbacks have split time working with the first-team offense in practice. For every play Ben gets, Drew gets two or three. Not the type of ratio Ben Olson had hoped for at the start of the season, but good enough for now.

“I feel that I’m coming along, and it feels good to be able to practice every day,” he said. “To get reps and to improve every day. That’s what you want to do if you’re not playing.”

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With 143 carries, Oregon State running back Yvenson Bernard is second in the Pacific 10 Conference in carries, behind only Washington State’s Jerome Harrison.

Bernard is similar in height and size to UCLA’s Maurice Drew but is not as explosive. He averages 105.2 yards rushing a game and is second on the team in receptions with 24 for 229 yards.

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Justin Medlock has six field goals and might have several more if the Bruins weren’t so efficient in the red zone. UCLA has a conference-leading 24 touchdowns in 28 possessions inside the 20-yard line. The Bruins have three field goals, scoring 96.4% of the time they are inside the 20, which also leads the Pac-10.