Drew Olson BLASTS the Coaching Staff

by Nestor on Aug 27, 2005 8:34 AM PDT in Football Comment 3 comments

Wow. That didn't take long. We are just seven days away and it looks like KD's coaching staff is already f*cking up this communication thingy re. their quarterbacks. Drew Olson is tired of the delay about the naming of a starting quarterback and is venting his frustrations (at the coaching staff)openly :

UCLA's quarterback controversy no longer is about who will be taking snaps when the season starts in one week. It's all over when the decision will be made.

It's unclear why an announcement has been delayed, but what's known is frustrations are mounting. Senior quarterback Drew Olson, the incumbent, has had a solid training camp, is taking all the snaps with the first team and is seemingly the favorite.

If that is the case, it doesn't explain why fans are still in the dark about who will be directing the offense when the Bruins take on San Diego State on Sept. 3.

Freshman Ben Olson (Thousand Oaks High) has played well, but hasn't been able to unseat Drew Olson. Ben Olson's chances to start also seemed to diminish after he hit his throwing hand on a helmet Tuesday. He hasn't thrown in practice since injuring the hand.

"I think both of us are tired of it, real tired of it," Drew Olson said Friday of the delay. "It's ongoing. You're kind of living in a shadow wondering, 'What if? What's going on?' "

And this is not only out in the Daily News, DO let his frustrations towards Dorrell out to the LA Times reporter too:

UCLA senior Drew Olson acknowledged Friday that he had become frustrated by Coach Karl Dorrell's lingering indecision on a starting quarterback.

Dorrell ... well seems ... clueless about all of this:

"The race has been so tight, it seems to make sense to give both these guys a chance to play," Dorrell said. "But who knows? Ben may not be able to play. He may not respond fast enough. Drew's a very capable person and he's had a great camp."

As for when he'll make a decision, Dorrell was noncommittal.

"There's no timeline, but it will happen sometime soon," Dorrell said. "I don't think it's a huge issue."

Uhmmm ... coach perhaps you need to start paying a little closer attention, because when your fourth year senior media-savy quarterback, who has been a three year starter, openly makes those kinds of comments, it has become a huge issue. And you let it bubble into a huge issue.

Sounds like the same old sh!t. Doesn't it? Well a Bruin alum who went to the scrimmage last weekend thought the same thing too. Here is his letter to the LA Times this morning:

Having signed up for a 15th year of UCLA home football games, I motored to my alma mater's scrimmage at beautiful Spalding Field to seek answers about the promise of the coming season. But all I got were questions:

* Will Ben Olson be the quarterback and throw to the end zone rather than the sidelines?

* Why does the team look similar to last year's, with anemic running, sideways passes and unnecessary penalties?

* Who is our game-breaker?

* Why did a burly usher grab my arm, push me and tell me to "use the gate" as I tried to step around her?

* Why was she blocking the aisle?

* What "gate"?

* Why was our alumni cheerleader wearing his sweater?

WILLIAM ENRIGHT
Fullerton

Yikes, wonder if anyone from Morgan Center is reading this types of notes from die hard alums like William, who sound like they are getting sick and tired of the odor of mediocrity oozing out of our football program. And people are starting to reach the breaking point ... this has to be the year ... KD needs to turn it around as we have said over and over, and will keep saying over and over. 9 wins or he needs to get the hell out Westwood.

Elsewhere, Lonnie White is a day late again - following Bisheff's lead on Maurice Drew profile to write his own profile on our heisman caliber tailback.

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Quarterback venting

Let Drew vent for all we care. Would like to see another season led by a quarterback who cannot throw anything but interceptions? For all his fault, if KD is undecided even when Ben is injured, it only means he does not want Drew to lead the team. Simple. We were at the scrimmage too. Experience means shit if defense knows that your QB cannot throw for his life.

by justwatching on Aug 27, 2005 10:48 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Once again Dorrell is creating/worsening

a QB controversy.

Since Ben is hurt, he should have named DO the starter, but made it clear that both would play according to their health, preparation and ability.

Then (and this is the sticker for forgetful KD) he needs to actually do it. Then, after SDSU, watch the tape, decide on a starter again, and let both play against Rice. The Oklahoma game is the first game where the team SHOULD need a good QB. The coaching staff should be getting both QBs ready for that game.

At this point it's probably more important that DO and Ben know what's going on than who is actually the starter. Especially because I believe that based on talent, knowledge and inferior opponents, both QBs should play about 50% in each of those games.

KD is determined to find a way to screw this up.

Furthermore, when DO is inevitably named the starter (why is he taking so long? This is exactlty the same way he KD mishandled the MM-DO situation), I am sure that Ben will play in SDSU and Rice because KD will "forget" about him or the team will fail to play well and won't be able to put those creampuffs away. Then, surprise, surprise, DO will get hurt or start throwing to OU DBs and everyone will wonder why BO isn't ready.

You don't even need a crystal ball. It's just so obvious.

KD sure is trying to put himself in the best position to be fired. But it's going to be a long year.

by Odysseus on Aug 27, 2005 10:50 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Did he not learn from the

situation with Drew and Matt from 2 years ago? At least go to whoever the qb is and tell them privately so they don't have this type of situation. But no he waits too long, and now Drew opens up to the press about it.
I am trying to be patient with KD, and I am trying to be optimistic about the season, but this stuff drives me crazy! Could he really still be undecided about who the qb is going to be 7 days away from the start of the season?? Come on Karl!

GO BRUINS!

by mijinbruin on Aug 27, 2005 11:32 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs