Friday News & Notes

by Nestor on Aug 17, 2007 4:37 AM PDT in Football Comment 6 comments

Happy Friday everyone. Just one more Friday to go till we get to the Friday before Game Day. Let’s get to our roundup for the day. Brian Dohn is still writing about "the installation process" going on at Westwood. Apparently now that installation is complete SPJ is getting all the HBO channels err I mean getting comfortable with the offense:

Ben Olson's legs and left arm are achy and his mind is beyond fatigued, but the junior quarterback's comfort level with UCLA's offense is at a high.

The mental and physical punishment his body is dealing with comes with the territory of opening training camp as the starting quarterback. He went through quarterback competitions the past two years, but now estimates he is attempting more than twice as many passes per day than previous camps.

"I feel more in control, not as pressed to make a great play every play," the former Thousand Oaks High standout said. "You can't ever relax playing football, but you can be calm and think clearly and just go with it. You have to go out there and compete every day, but to feel like your coaches are behind you, that you're not playing to make mistakes, really helps you out."

During the first week of practice, Olson was inconsistent as he struggled with the heavy installation process of UCLA's complex offense.

However, the installation process ended Tuesday, and the past two days Olson threw the ball well. He has tightened his delivery and has thrown the ball on time with much more regularity than in past camps.

"I'm getting tons of reps every practice, and I'm not quite used to it," Olson said. "The last couple of days I've really felt good. Things have really started to click. The reps are definitely something that I've never gotten before, and I can tell how much it's benefited me."

In all seriousness there may be something to what the SPJ is saying. Remember last year he had to share reps with St. Patrick. Now it sounds like 80 percent of the reps. It should get him more comfortable with the offense and his team-mates. I think it is reasonable to expect that the coaches will get him and his team-mates all polished and have them clicking on all cylinders against a hapless and pathetic Stanford "football team" in about two weeks.

Speaking of SPJ’s team-mates, Whicker from OC Register has a profile on Aleksey Lanis, the 6-5, 319 Siberian OL from Crenshaw. It’s a great read that tells us a very cool story. However, to me these grafs stuck out pointing to the depth at our OL (emphasis added):

[A]s the Bruins prepare for Stanford on Sept.1, Lanis is trying to nail down a space on the field. He started at tackle last year, got hurt in the Emerald Bowl, and wasn’t able to practice at his best for a new offensive staff.

Today the starting tackles are Brian Abraham and Micah Kia. The Bruins’ new system has linemen who either line up left or right for all occasions, instead of flipping to strong or weak sides. Lanis is becoming the backup at all five line positions.

"When I got here five years ago we had seven offensive linemen and now we have 17," Coach Karl Dorrell said. "I think that’s going to make a difference."

Everyone who plays up front for the Bruins has done so before, and theoretically this could, and should, be the best offensive line since 1998, when Andy Meyers, Kris Farris and Shawn Stuart convoyed Cade McNown to habitual touchdowns.

Well there you have it. That is consistent with our assertion that this is the deepest and most experience team Dorrell has had in 5 years. And if he cannot bring home a Pac-10 championship (and the last time that happened was 1998) it is never going to happen under his leadership at UCLA.

Olson, Lanis are not the only offensive players in the news today. Even Kai Forbath, the new UCLA kicker is getting a little ink today courtesy of the LA Times. We hope Kai turns out to be a dependable kicker as Medlock. However, if Dorrell ends up leaning on Kai for scoring as he leaned on Medlock, it could mean Kai will be playing for a new coach next season.

Elsewhere, I’ve got couple of notes from the blogosphere. Our friends over Corn Nation have written up a review on Stewart Mandel’s (SI.com) new book: "Bowl, Polls & Tattered Souls". And why am I tell you this? Here is one of the chapters from Mandel’s book:

Firemycoach.com

How web sites such as this blog are changing how we see college football and the insanely high expectations placed upon today's coaches. Frank Solich and Steve Pederson (Mandel refers to him as an egomaniac) are highlighted here as is SB Nation's own UCLA blog, "Bruins Nation".

Well not sure I will get to the book any time soon. But if any of you read it let us know what you think. Of course we don’t need to go into rebutting the idea that how our expectations are "insanely high." Bruin Blue took care of that a while ago eviscerating the "unreasonable expectations" card here on BN.

And speaking of expectations Dave over at Maize n Brew (our SBN colleague covering the Wolverines) have written up his preview of the Pac-10. Check out what he has to say about our Bruins:

Everything's in place for a title run at UCLA. 20 returning starters. Good God. Ben Olson is back at QB, the defense returns 9 of its top 10 including concussion maker Bruce Davis, and a tour of Utah! UCLA's schedule has both BYU (who outright molested Oregon) and a Utah squad with 16 returning starters. In addition, they host what should be an improving Notre Dame squad on October 6. If UCLA drops any of their OOC games, blame it squarely on the coaching (which I'm counting on Bruins Nation to do). This is a stacked defense with and outstanding back 7. If Kevin Brown and Brigham Harwell continue to improve at the line's interior, this could be one of the best defenses in the country. Of concern is a shake up at OC with former Nebraska OC Jay Norvell. I think this should help tremendously and get the UCLA offense back up into the 30ppg level. If not it's a waste of talent. The PAC 10 season boils down to UCLA and USC on December 1st. UCLA can win it, but right now I'm picking the Trojans. 11-1 (8-1).

Now you know why I like University of Michigan, its students and alums so much. Smart folks and just plain ole good guys from Ann Arbor (okay Dave is from Chicago but whatever you get my point). I dig the Wolverines a lot.

GO BRUINS.

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Plaschke also has a column...

... in today's paper BUT it's not up on the Times website yet. I'll post it tonight when I get back from the day with the wife and kids.

Only read it once (wife has it right now), but the basic idea of the column? It covers all the ground we've been discussing for the past TWO WEEKS re: the ES hiring situation.

-- KD and DG have to be on "the same page."

-- KD "learned from this experience" re: hiring. (Ugh.)

-- DG himself called Plaschke to clarify his statements about the hiring of Scott.

-- However, the gist of the column suggests that KD did NOT tell DG the full details of what he knew. Holy freaking crap.

-- AND, there's a bit about how KD has apparently complained to Plaschke that he lives on the U$C campus, and only shows up at UCLA when something goes wrong. He's probably right, but still...

Man, I cannot WAIT until this column can be cut and posted from the LAT website...

MIM

WHY NOT US? WHY NOT NOW?

by Meriones on Aug 17, 2007 8:53 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I have been looking for it

First Cowherd and now Plashcke.

May be all these blowhards are finally seeing the light after reading BN.

by bluestreet on Aug 17, 2007 8:56 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Link to Plaschke article

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke17aug17,1,6270750.story?coll=la-headlines-sports

by Free the 16 on Aug 17, 2007 8:56 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for the link

I am %*#@! tired of hearing KD keep saying over and over -- "I am still learning." This is his FIFTH year on the job. At my company you have 6 months to learn or you do not pass probation and get canned.

And the matter of not lying to your boss is not something you have to "learn" in the 5th year. It's part of being an honest person.

How much slack does KD get? Did Toledo get as much slack? And if not, why not? This whole KD scenario stinks from day 1.

by bluegold on Aug 17, 2007 9:12 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs