Olson's Career is Over

So, the reports are that Ben Olson is out for 8 weeks with a re-broken right foot. But believe me... that's it for Ben. He won't return. It's been a tumultuous career for the big southpaw but injuries and inconsistency were the major themes of his college days. Ultimately, this is the final punctuation mark for the Dorrell era as Karl's biggest recruit ended up making virtually no impact for the Bruins.

This is the exact same injury that put Ben in crutches back in April. He rested for almost 3 months before getting back out to practice. You have to figure it will take him at least that long this time around. That puts him back in practice in November, and with the broken foot he won't be able to stay in shape and it will take him a while to get back into playing form. That leaves him with almost no games left. If Craft or Forcier (or anyone for that matter) is even remotely productive while Olson is gone, the coaching staff won't put Ben back in there. So believe me, this is it for Ben.

If you count up all the games where Ben Olson hasn't played since high school, the number is shocking. Olson graduated from Thousand Oaks high school in 2002. He red shirted his first season at BYU, so that's 12 games there. His two year Mormon mission adds in another 24 games. In his first season at UCLA, he fractured a thumb and was sidelined early. Drew Olson took over and had a fantastic season with Ben only played in garbage time for two games, so he sat out 10. In 2006, he started the first five games but suffered a knee injury against Arizona that cost him the remaining 7 games. Last year, Olson was only available to play in 6 games. That's a total of 59 games since 2002 where Ben hasn't played. That doesn't even count the games he'll miss this year, which will likely be all of them.

You got to feel bad for Ben, but it's almost better that it happened this way. UCLA needs to move on and the last vestiges of the old regime are now finally gone. This will be a building year for the future of Bruin football and the sooner the next quarterback can get some snaps and experience the better.

Fire the Lawnmower Man

Ben Olson re-injured his foot on Saturday. USC's starting quarterback Mark Sanchez dislocated his knee cap last week. Pat Cowan tore his ACL back in April. That's four QB injuries to three different players in three months... all with zero contact. I say fire the lawnmower man.

It should come as no surprise that Ben Olson is hurt. The big southpaw has missed more games thans he's made during his time at UCLA. Apparently he hurt his foot on an almost identical play to what put him in crutches back during the spring. They'll find out this week if the injury will sideline him for his senior season or if there is any chance he can put on pads again this season.

Spring Scrimmage

Just got back from the Spring Scrimmage at the Rose Bowl. All in all, it was a really fun time. The defense dominated but the offense looked better than I expected. I came away feeling pretty good about Kevin Craft and Chris Forcier as quarterbacks. Even Rashaan had some memorable moments.


When I rolled into the old Arroyo Seco, the team was just starting the "Bruin Walk". Good timing! It was cool to see the players make their way down to the stadium. The sad part was seeing Pat Cowan and Ben Olson limping along behind the team. One of the fans asked if Pat needed surgery and he said yes. Bummer. Looks like he is officially done. Coach Neuheisel stopped the scrimmage, near the end, and had Ben and Pat take a standing ovation from the crowd. It must be tough for these guys as Seniors.

The scrimmage started out kind of slow. The offense struggled in the first few series. It was ones vs twos, so Craft and the first string had a bit of an easier time. He put together a nice series on his second (or third, I can't remember) time out. Hitting Logan Paulson across the middle for a big gain. He finished that drive with a Theriot touchdown on a draw. Nice to see the FB and TE getting into the mix. Craft hit Ketchum for a TD on a drive that started in the red zone and he also threw one interception. All in all, a pretty solid performance. I think he'll be a serviceable QB.

Forcier and Rashaan had a harder time. Both had fumbles and some missed snaps. Forcier put together a nice drive, starting at mid field, that ended in a Ramierez touchdown run. He had some crisp passes and he has some speed when he's running. It was a no-hit scrimmage for the quarterbacks, so we really couldn't see how well these two would perform when scrambling. Chris also threw a terrible pick early in the scrimmage that was thrown downfield without an offensive blue jersey in sight. It was sort of a mixed bag from him tonight.

Rashaan struggled the most of the three. He had some problems with the snaps, as you might expect from someone who really hasn't played much at the position this spring. But he did have two "wow" passes. One went to Taylor Embree on a long pass to the far side. That kid made a great catch and I see why people talk about him. The other was a scrimmage ending toss to a walk-on (Pearlman, or something, I forget) that was a perfectly placed ball right over the middle for six. The rest of the time he had "happy feet" and he would take off running before he really needed to.

On defense, Brian Price and Reggie Carter both had good nights. The name that really stood out for me was Courtney Viney. He was involved in a lot of plays and I saw him on the field for a big chunk of the game. He picked off a Kevin Craft pass and broke up some others. He reminds me of Trey Brown. He isn't the biggest kid but he's good at keeping position and getting involved in plays that come his way. He might get picked on early this season, but I think he can handle it.

On the injury front, John Hale was on crutches. Guess he got hurt this last week. Craig Sheppard was pulled from the game early when he got hurt on a play and I guess Glen Love also went out late in the scrimmage. We'll see what happened to those guys tomorrow.

Anyways, enjoy the pictures (sorry, they were taken hastily with my cell phone). The announced attendance was 15K. It was a fun atmosphere and they tried to make it feel as close to a real game as possible. The only difference was that I had great seats on the 50 and got in and out of the Rose Bowl in less than 10 minutes. Ah, if only it could be like that during the season.

(Photo credit: CPBruinFan)

Cowan Likely Done

Well, Pat's time as a Bruin could be done. He has damage to his ACL after injuring his leg in practice Thursday. The doctors have to wait for the swelling to go down before they determine if surgery is necessary. If it is then that's basically all she wrote for Cowan. It can take almost a year to recover from that type of injury and with Pat a red-shirt senior, his days in the blue and gold would be over. Ben Olson may need a screw put into his foot. He broke the bone and is expected to be out 6-8 weeks. Which would make him available for Fall camp if his recovery is on track.

It looks like the rebuilding season may start at quarterback as well. If Olson isn't ready to go or if he hurts himself again for a fourth straight season, then Craft or Forcier will be the starter for the season. Boy, Neuheisel and Chow had some foresight in picking up Kevin Craft. I can almost guarantee that he'll be the starter at some point in this 2008 season.

Olson Doubtfull for Vegas Bowl

Ben Olson is having a bad year, or two, or five. Man, he just can't buy a break. It looks like he may not play this Saturday because he re-injured his left knee in practice this week. That means Rashaan might be making his third start this season. I guess that makes BYU's job harder because they'll have to prepare for a more mobile QB.

Is Anyone the Answer?

last month, I asked if Ben was the right man for the job at quarterback. Things haven't exactly been peaches-and-creme with the big southpaw. When he was replaced by Pat for the Washington game, I asked if Cowan could be the answer. Now that both are banged up, I'm wondering if anyone can fill the breach? With two weeks to prepare for a huge game against #2 California, coaches Dorrell and Norvell will have to see if they can get someone ready to take control of this offense.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson

Mac has been our backup quarterback the entire season. He was behind Olson for the first two games, then behind Pat for the Washington game, and finally back behind Ben for Oregon State and Notre Dame. However, against the Irish, he sure didn't look like a kid the coaches had been preparing to take the reigns for 6 weeks. I'm sure Mac is a better quarterback than what he showed last Saturday. He was obviously, and understandably, nervous and his confidence must have sunk after the first few turnovers. The coaches didn't exactly put him in a good situation either, placing the burden of moving the team on his shoulders.

Of all the backups, Mac is the most experienced. He got thrown in the deep end of the pool, and almost drowned, but you got to figure he'll only getter better from here. He had a pair of decent drives against the Irish and with a better call on that 4th-and-one (like maybe using our short-yardage back Moline!), he could have at least kept the chains moving on a third.

That being said, I don't think this kid has the skills, at this point, to be a real offensive weapon. He made some poor decisions last week as well, so we'll have to see if he can keep his cool under pressure. He can probably manage a game but I wouldn't expect much more.

Osaar Rasshan

Rasshan has been an intriguing figure for the Bruins at quarterback for years now. There always seems to be a small faction of fans on UCLA message boards who think Osaar should be the starting quarterback. That group of fans might finally have their moment in the sun. Rasshan hasn't taken a snap at quarterback for a few months now but Dorrell has said that he'll move Osaar back to quarterback this week. He's been at receiver this season.

Rasshan is an athletic and talented player. His senior season in high school, he had 1,716 yards passing and 860 yards rushing. That was three years ago, but you have to think that Osaar is a much bigger duel-threat quarterback than what we've seen so far this year. The offense hasn't exactly been playing well with Pat and Ben, so putting in a running quarterback sounds like a great alternative. Maybe the coaches can install a simple package that allows Osaar a chance to maximize his athletic strength.

Before you get too excited about Rasshan, let's remember that he was beaten out this summer for the 3rd quarterback slot by Mac. That's right, the guy who threw 4 interceptions and gave up a fumble on Saturday has looked better in practice than Rasshan. It might be the system, but the Bruins will have a hard time switching to a spread-option offense for Osaar. He'll have to find a way to work with the WCO.

Chris Forcier

C-Force is another intriguing option at quarterback. He is a lot like Rasshan, in that he is a multi-dimensional offensive weapon who is athletic and fast running the ball. He is expected to red-shirt this season, so he would really need to show something special in practice for the coaches to put him in at quarterback for Cal.

Chris racked up 2,382 yards and threw 31 touchdown passes as a Senior in high school last year. He is quick on the ground and put in a 4.4 forty time in one combine. He hasn't looked that good passing the ball, however, in practices this summer. He has some problems with the mechanics of his throw and it would be ideal for him to work those things out before getting thrown into a D-1 college football game.

What to Do?

I guess we'll see if Ben is able to play after his MRI today. If he is a no-go then maybe Pat could be ready. He'll be in limited workouts this week and I have a feeling that he won't be available against the Bears. I think the coaches are going to have to seriously consider which of the players above will be given the nod in two weeks.

Maybe the coaches could go with a two quarterback system against Cal? Florida used Tim Tebow at times last season, and he was very effective with his running ability. If the Bruins mix in Rasshan with a simplified spread-like package then that could cause the California defense some problems. They would have no footage on that offense and the element of surprise could give the Bruin offense a fighting chance in this game. Mac could be used to help manage the game and we rely on Markey, Bell, and Moline to really carry the offense. The emphasis on running the ball could even give Mac some easy opportunities to mix in a few passes in safe situations.

I can't say I'm all too excited about any of the above players taking the starting spot. There is very little experience in this group and even a best-case scenario may not be enough to beat a high-flying Bear offense. Our defense has played very well lately, but it will take a herculean effort against California to keep the Bruins in that game. I guess we'll have our answer soon enough.

Is Ben Olson the Answer?

We’re two games into the season and seven games into Ben Olson’s career in Westwood. He’s started out strong the last two years but struggled after the opening game both times. His performance against BYU left a lot to be desired and without a reliable passing attack, the Bruins will find themselves fighting to eek out wins every week. This has left fans everywhere asking if the big south paw is really the man for the job behind center. Well, he’s going to have to be because we really don’t have any other options.

Olson ended up completing less than half of his passes last Saturday with no touchdowns and one interception. The offense struggled along with Olson’s accuracy and it didn’t seem like they would score a point in the second half. You have to give this team some credit, though, as they battled their way down field at the end of the game to put the ball in the end zone and the game out of reach. Still, the two offensive touchdowns came on drives that depended almost entirely on the running game. Ben did make a few key passes, including a big 34 yard pass to Marcus Everett, but otherwise it was a wasteland of bad reads, misplaced throws, and dropped balls.

So what’s the problem? Is Ben not getting enough time from his offensive line to make his reads? Are the receivers not getting enough separation? Is Ben just not finding the right receiver or is he just getting the ball to them too late? The answer might be a combination of the items above but the consensus seems to be that Olson just doesn’t deliver the ball fast enough. He waits too long on quick, short passes (which are a staple of the west coast offense) and his passes arrive too long after the receiver has made his break. He needs to deliver the ball before the receiver breaks and that requires making good reads and an almost immediate decision on where the ball should go.

So are these problems fixable? Some of the pressure will fall on Jay Norvell to try and find plays where the Bruins can maximize Ben’s strengths. I also think that Norvell can take some of the pressure off of Ben by utilizing the running game some more. Kalil Bell has the hot hand right now and he is running with power, strength, and a lot of anger. He’s been a bull in the backfield and his consistent success carrying the ball will help develop some more play-action passing. Norvell also needs to call in some more deep passes. He only utilized a few last week and got more conservative as the game progressed. Stretch the field and put that big arm to work! The receiving corps also needs to step up as 5 dropped passes isn’t going to get it done.

Ben may have some issues and he may never be able to regain that magic from his high school days, but he is the only man for the job at UCLA. Even if Pat Cowan were available (which he isn’t) or if Mac Thompson were more experienced (which he isn’t), Ben would still be the most gifted of the three. Nobody can deny that he can throw a nice ball and if he can work out his timing issues he could be special. Pat brings a scrambling element to the game that Ben doesn’t posses, but his accuracy when throwing is really no better. Thompson might be able to step up in a pinch, but would you really put the offense in the hands of a red-shirt freshman walk-on? Hopefully, it doesn’t come down to that and this offense irons out its problems. Otherwise, it could be a very long season.

(photo credit: AP)

Player Profile: Ben Olson

Everyone has heard Ben Olson's story. I think FSN, ABC, and NBC worked it to death last year, giving us a personal history lesson each week. It went something like this: High School phenom, BYU for one season, Mormon Mission, and then UCLA. As far as I'm concerned, all of that is ancient history. Any past accomplishments are long gone and It is all about this season and finally living up to all the hope, hype, and the mountain of expectations that have followed him since his prep days.

Ben is definitely the most talented and skilled quarterback to put on a Bruin jersey since Cade McNown. He is tall, has a cannon for an arm, and the 24 year old is wise and mature. He has all the measurables you like to see at the position and the guy has had NFL scouts watching him for years. Even in high school, people were pegging Olson as a guy who would be playing on Sundays.

Unfortunately for Ben, he's managed to play just five games in the last five years and the rust was very apparent this last season. He got off to a fantastic start against Utah, but it quickly went down hill as he struggled against the lowly Rice Owls and he really never found a consistent grove. The knee injury against Arizona, which was a nasty cheap shot, unfortunately cut short a season where he could have gotten some much needed time on the field. He wrapped up the season connecting on 79 of 124 passes for 822 yards, 5 TDs, 5 INTs.

The one good number from Ben's sophomore campaign was his completion percentage. He landed 64% of his passes, which is exactly what you want to see from your quarterback in a west coast offense. Now, admittedly, that was against some pretty weak competition (Washington, Stanford, Arizona, Rice, and Utah) but if Ben can be as accurate this year then the Bruin's offense will put up a lot more points.

Ben was named the starting quarterback this spring and he'll head into the fall camp, for the first time, knowing he's the number one guy. He had a decent spring practice, but the new offense installed by Jay Norvell means learning a whole new vocabulary and set of plays. Ben seems like a smart guy but there is bound to be a learning curve. Hopefully, Olson can draw on some of what he has learned over the last two years in the west coast offense, to make the transition a little easier. It was his competition percentage and his grasp of the new offense that gave him the leg-up over Pat Cowan this spring. If Ben struggles with accuracy during the season, however, Pat will be waiting to take his place.

New offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Jay Norvell had this to say about Olson, "He's very settled in where he is as a person and very confident in what he wants to get done. Probably the most underrated quality in a quarterback is stability. You need someone mature and stable."

Ben played his prep ball at Thousand Oaks High School. He graduated in 2001, which is a lifetime ago in the college football world. Olson was rated the #1 player in the entire country with both Rivals and Scout both gaving him 5 stars. A Parade All American, He was named to the all-CIF team and given pretty much every national award out there for a quarterback. He was very highly recruited, as you would expect, and he picked BYU over a long list of schools.

After his Mormon mission, Ben was able to re-open his college recruiting. Dissatisfied with the way he was utilized at BYU, he looked around for a new program. He chose a school close to home in UCLA and Ben was almost immediately lauded as the savior of the Bruin football program. He was greeted like a rock star on campus and even earned the short-lived nickname "South Paw Jesus". The hysteria has definitely quieted down over the last two years, but the expectations are still sky high among the fans.

Over his first two years at UCLA, he has been set back by some injuries. He had a small fracture in his throwing hand that limited his minutes early in 2005. He also had the leg injury last year that kept him on the bench for most of the season . Ben does have decent mobility but we'll have to see if the leg injury slows him down in 2007. Drew Olson suffered a nasty leg injury his junior year and he broke school records as a Senior, so hopefully Ben can be just as successful.

In so many ways this is a season of reckoning for the Bruins in general and for Olson in particular. A big year from the southpaw could mean the difference between a great season or a rather average one for UCLA. It is really now or never for Ben to prove that he is that same player that wowed so many fans back at Thousand Oaks. I'm sure nobody has bigger expectations for this season than Olson himself. The only question that remains is will he deliver.

(photo credit: Ghetty Images)