QB or not QB?
PULLMAN – The (not-so)-merry-go-round that is UCLA’s quarterback situation took another spin this week.
Patrick Cowan, who filled in for an injured Ben Olson in the Bruins’ 44-31 win over Washington, is out at least three weeks with a partially torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee, suffered late in last Saturday’s game.
Olson, the starter who missed the UW game with concussion-like symptoms, has been declared fit and will start Saturday at Oregon State. But is Olson’s return a good thing?
Cowan wasn’t the all-everything quarterback coming out of St. John Bosco (Calif.) High that Olson was, but he’s filled in for the oft-injured left-hander a couple of times in two seasons. All he’s done is lead the Bruins to an upset of USC last year and to Saturday’s key win.
UCLA and coach Karl Dorrell were under fire after a 44-6 loss to Utah the week before. In that one, Olson threw three interceptions and was sacked five times.
“We definitely need to see that from Ben, from an improvement standpoint,” Dorrell said Monday. “I know he is disgusted with how he played in the Utah game. I know he’s working hard already, trying to get himself ready to have a great game.”
Huskies need a second
Washington is trying to fix its second-half lulls, a weakness that reared its head last year when the Huskies were tied or led at half eight times but won only four.
The second-half malaise surfaced against Ohio State – UW led 7-3 and lost 33-14 – but really bit the Dawgs last Saturday. The Huskies were tied with UCLA (3-1, 1-0 in the Pac-10) at 10 heading into the locker room and eventually lost by 13.
“You have to make adjustments,” Washington coach Tyrone Willingham told the Seattle Times. “That’s what the game constantly is. But a lot of times adjustments are taking place as the game goes on every minute. You don’t just wait for the 10, 15 minutes you’ve got at halftime to make those adjustments.” You make subtle adjustments (during the game) and some of those ones we make work and some we make don’t work.
“And that’s the same thing you can say for the opponent. I don’t think UCLA wanted to give up 21 points in the second half, nor did we want to give up (34). It’s always a combination of things. It’s never just a clear, definitive reason.”
The converse of the Huskies’ poor second half-performance is they have outscored their four opponents 55-29 before halftime. But the break has seemed to sap them.
“I think we are not coming out fast enough,” cornerback Roy Lewis told the Times. “We go in at halftime ahead or tied, and I think we are kind of satisfied with the first half. But we have to realize we have another half to go, and I don’t think we are coming out with the same fire and intensity that we have in the first half. The third quarter is when we have to come out and be as aggressive as we were in the first half.”
The Huskies (2-2, 0-1) can’t afford a slow second half this week, or a slow possession. They host No. 1 USC (3-0, 1-0), which never punted in its 47-14 win over WSU last week.
Around the conference
Count USC’s Pete Carroll as one of those impressed with UW quarterback Jake Locker. “(He) has just lit it up for a redshirt freshman – as good a first showing, first four or five games, as a guy could have,” Carroll said this week. “They know they have a great one in this kid. He’s not a normal freshman out there playing.” … Oregon lost receiver Brian Paysinger to a knee injury in practice last week. Now it looks like the senior, who was leading the Ducks in receiving yards before he was hurt, will be lost for the season. … The Beavers are having a problem holding on to the ball and it’s costing them. Oregon State quarterbacks have thrown 13 interceptions in four games, including five in a 44-32 loss to Arizona State last week. The Beavers will enter Saturday’s game with UCLA 113th in turnover margin (minus-2 per game) out of 119 NCAA Division 1 teams.
Cougar notes
If each practice has a theme, then Tuesday’s revolved around big guys carrying the ball. First scout team offensive lineman Kevin Freitag caught a pass deflected by middle linebacker Greg Trent and did his best Reggie Bush imitation until the whistle blew. Then just a few plays later, defensive tackle A’i Ahmu came up with an interception, although all he did after catching the ball was fall to the ground. … During Alex Brink’s weekly news conference, the senior quarterback was asked again why he hasn’t received national recognition. Brink patiently explained Pullman’s out-of-the-way location and the Pac-10’s late games, among other reasons. … The night before each game, coach Timm Rosenbach tests the quarterbacks on the game plan. The test demands written answers, not yes or no responses. It’s a chore Rosenbach endured when he was coached by NFL QB guru Jerry Rhome. Rosenbach said his first test with the Cardinals was so marked up with red marks after Rhome graded it that he came up with a preemptive strategy. He took the second test using a red pen.