No Rush to Judgment

Another football season, another quarterback battle at UCLA.

Although it was considered a given that Karl Dorrell would replace one Olson (Drew) with another (Ben), the coach has seemed determined to keep his options open by making sure that Patrick Cowan was in position to challenge for the starting spot since practice began earlier this month.

“The coaching staff has chosen to handle the situation the way they have chosen to handle it,” Ben Olson said in something of a verbal shrug. “I can’t control what they do. I can only control my attitude and the things that I can control. That’s the mind-set that I’m taking.... It’s a it-is-what-it-is type of thing. You have to somehow handle it and compete.”

Drew Olson (no relation) had similar things to say a year ago when he, as the incumbent, had to share the practice snaps with newcomer Ben.

Ben Olson, 23, is a former national high school player of the year who spent a redshirt season at Brigham Young and two years on a Mormon mission before enrolling at UCLA last year.

Cowan, 20, also a redshirt sophomore, was not a top recruit out of Bellflower St. John Bosco High, but the opportunity Dorrell has provided seems to have boosted his confidence, and he has been performing well.

“Pat has really improved how he’s handling the team and his leadership,” UCLA offensive coordinator Jim Svoboda said.

Setting up a quarterback competition is nothing new for Dorrell. This is the third time in four years that he hasn’t announced the starting quarterback with only weeks to go before the season opener. In 2003, Matt Moore and Drew Olson competed -- with Moore winning the job only to get injured in the first game of the season. Last year, Drew Olson got the nod after Ben Olson suffered a fractured hand.

Dorrell said this summer’s situation is different than it was a year ago: “I’m not asking for him to have the type of production Drew Olson had last year. We’re asking for a guy to operate this offense and put it in the best position to be productive, at least at the start.”

In the past, a quarterback competition has worked ... and not.

Last season, after Drew Olson re-won his position, he passed for 3,198 yards and 34 touchdowns with only six interceptions as the Bruins went 10-2.

However, in 2003 the battle between Drew Olson and Moore seemed to divide the team and the Bruins finished 6-7. (In 2004, Drew Olson had a solid hold on the job from day one of practice and UCLA went 6-6.)

This season, UCLA players seem to be committed to remaining neutral.

“The great thing is that all of our quarterbacks have accepted the role of being the leader,” junior fullback Michael Pitre said. “They know it’s an opportunity for any of them to play.”

Added junior cornerback Trey Brown: “Both of our quarterbacks have been around and made great strides this summer. I know whichever quarterback gets the job, he is going to help us on the field.”

Across the country, at the Baltimore Ravens’ training camp, Drew Olson has been trying to keep on top of the battle because he knows what both quarterbacks are going through. In two of his three seasons playing for Dorrell, Olson had to compete for the job.

“It can be a good thing and it can be a bad thing,” said Olson, who signed with the Ravens as a free agent. “I know both of them and they both are real competitive. That should bring out the best of both guys.

“But I feel that the downside for a quarterback is that you never get a sense that it’s your team. I feel that I had a huge advantage last year because I was a senior. I felt like it was my team all along. As a quarterback, you always want to feel like you have ownership of the team, yet you don’t really have it when you compete in training camp.”

After 10 days of practice, both of the Bruins’ top quarterbacks have made more than their share of mistakes. That, too, can be something of a test, though.

“It’s easy when things are going well and everything is upbeat,” Ben Olson said. “But when things aren’t going well, that’s when it’s challenging. That’s when you have to keep everyone upbeat.”

Dorrell has hinted that he would like to make a decision sooner than later, but he does not seem to be in a rush with UCLA’s season opener against Utah still more than two weeks away.

“Not one performance is going to decide it,” Dorrell said.