Olson Rebounds With Five Touchdown Passes

One week after completing less than 50% of his passes for only 76 yards in UCLA’s first spring football scrimmage, junior Drew Olson bounced back with an impressive performance in the Bruins’ scrimmage on Friday.

Looking more confident in the pocket and comfortable running the offense, Olson completed 15 of 20 passes for 184 yards and five touchdowns to five receivers.

It was the type of effort Coach Karl Dorrell hopes to see from his starting quarterback in the fall.

“He made great decisions,” Dorrell said about Olson, who completed his first six passes, including a 37-yard touchdown to redshirt freshman Matt Slater. “He made some plays when he needed to ... shows that he’s growing in what we’re doing offensively.”

Three of Olson’s touchdowns came off drives that began at the 20-yard line, an area in which the Bruins suffered last season. Olson said his improved play was a result of studying more film.

“This is the first time that I felt real, real, real comfortable with this offense,” Olson said.

Other standouts of the scrimmage included: running back Maurice Drew, who rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns; receiver Craig Bragg, who had six catches for 58 yards and a score; quarterback David Koral, who completed six of eight passes for 60 yards; defensive tackle C.J. Niusulu, who had two tackles for losses; defensive backs Chris Horton and Ben Emanuel, who delivered a couple of crunching hits, and defensive ends Justin Hickman and Bruce Davis, who applied consistent pressure on passing downs.

-- Lonnie White