Background: In the middle of the pack in the Pacific 10 in passing last year with 2,565 yards, 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and a 57 percent completion rate. When Olson hurt his knee in an embarrassing 24-21 Las Vegas Bowl loss to Wyoming, his job status for this season was in doubt. A two-year starter, he had to heal from January surgery and fight off a challenge from Ben Olson (no relation), a ballyhooed transfer from BYU. Drew Olson bleeds light blue. His father, David, is a graduate of UCLA’s law school and captained UCLA’s rugby team.
Stat line: Drew Olson not only beat out a rusty Ben Olson for the job, he has become the Pac-10’s best quarterback not named Matt Leinart. Drew Olson is 56-for-78 (.718) for 762 yards and six TDs and, more important, no interceptions. He’s seventh nationally in pass efficiency at 179.2 and second in the Pac-10 behind Leinart’s national-leading rating (243.7).
What’s up: Olson has helped transform UCLA from an unranked underachiever with a coach in lukewarm water to the top 25 with a 3-0 mark. It helps that the awful line Bob Toledo left coach Karl Dorrell two years ago has matured and Olson has two veteran receivers in senior tight end Marcedes Lewis and senior wideout Junior Taylor.
What’s next: The Bruins are off this week, host Washington on Oct. 1, then get 13th-ranked California at home. They don’t face another ranked team until No. 18 Arizona State, at home, Nov. 12 and top-ranked USC in the Dec. 3 regular-season finale. “You can see just strides where his confidence has grown,” Lewis said after Olson’s 314 yards and three touchdown passes helped beat Oklahoma last Saturday 41-24. “He’s just a leader out there. As long as he keeps making plays and doing what he has to do, this team is going to keep growing.”
Henderson’s take: Olson began turning the corner last year when Dorrell brought in offensive guru Tom Cable after his firing at Idaho. In his past 11 games, Olson is 196-for-316 (.620) for 2,587 yards and 22 touchdowns with only four interceptions. Olson’s leadership has lifted UCLA, as he exhibited against OU when he helped put the Sooners away with clutch play in the second half.
