Cowan Steps In at Crucial Time

Now that UCLA has completed the soft portion of its schedule, the 4-1 Bruins will head into a key four-game stretch -- starting at Oregon on Saturday -- with backup Patrick Cowan probably starting at quarterback in place of injured sophomore Ben Olson.

Cowan stepped in after Olson suffered a potential season-ending knee injury against Arizona on Saturday and passed for 201 yards and two touchdowns in the Bruins’ 27-7 victory.

He’s expected to make his first start against the Ducks in a key Pacific 10 Conference game for the Bruins, who are tied for third with Oregon, Washington and Washington State at 2-1 in conference play.

“We had a very capable No. 2 and we felt very confident in our abilities,” Coach Karl Dorrell said about UCLA playing Cowan, a junior who had completed only one pass in college before the Arizona game.

“I’ve told Pat that you’re always one play away. We kind of smiled at each other when that happened and I told him that this was his shot and for him to go out there and make the most of it.”

For Cowan, competing against Olson for the starting job in training camp not only helped prepare him for Saturday but also gave his teammates confidence in him.

“I think the entire team was supportive and wanted me to do well,” Cowan said. “The attitude on the sidelines was very confident.”

Offensive coordinator Jim Svoboda said Cowan has always had a positive attitude about his role on the team. Even after Olson was selected starter before the start of the season, Cowan continued to work hard in practice.

“He came in and did so well because he had prepared so well,” Svoboda said. “Being a backup quarterback is a difficult role and it says a lot about who he is and how he kept himself mentally ready in case he was ever called upon.

“I always say a team is only as good as your backup quarterback.”

The first report on Olson, who will have an MRI test today, was that he suffered a ligament sprain in his left knee. If that is the case, Olson could be sidelined for only a couple of weeks. But if his injury is worse, Olson could be done for the year.

“It’s kind of that unexpected thing that really caught him off guard,” Svoboda said about Olson. “Just like that, it was a totally different deal with him.”

Svoboda said that it will be difficult to predict Olson’s recovery time, even if he suffered only a sprain and does not require surgery.

“It really varies,” Svoboda said. “I’ve seen people come back in a couple of weeks and then sometimes people are out longer than that.”

After Oregon on Saturday, UCLA will play at Notre Dame, followed by a home game against Washington State and a trip to California.

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Trey Brown is listed at 5 feet 9 and 185 pounds, but the junior cornerback made several big hits against Arizona ballcarriers.

“They all felt good,” said Brown, who is tied for the team lead with two interceptions. “Any time a receiver has the ball and you can make a hit like that, it’s a momentum play.

“In the secondary we don’t get many opportunities to deliver big hits, especially as a cornerback.... We want to be a physical defense, especially on the back end.”

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UCLA has held all five opponents this season under 300 yards -- Utah 287, Rice 184, Washington 249, Stanford 166 and Arizona 222.

The last time the Bruins did that was 1992 against San Diego State, Arizona, Stanford, Washington State and Arizona State.

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lonnie.white@latimes.com