• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

After making every throw this year, quarterback Drew Olson's season ended prematurely when he was injured midway through the second quarter of the Las Vegas Bowl on Thursday. After a slow first quarter, Olson seemed to have picked up some momentum in the second quarter when he threaded the needle on a post to junior receiver Junior Taylor for a touchdown. However, on his first pass attempt on the next drive, he couldn't find an open receiver and desperately unloaded the ball as he was hit in the backfield.  The play resulted in an intentional grounding call, but that was hardly the worst bit of news. Olson sprained his left knee on the hit, and was resorted to the sidelines to watch the rest of UCLA's disappointing loss to Wyoming.  "It's a real heartbreak," Olson said. "Injuries are part of the game. Watching on the sidelines was probably the hardest thing I've had to do ever. I wanted to be out there so bad helping the team and I felt helpless sitting on the sideline." Olson's replacement, junior David Koral, saw his first significant action as a Bruin, and was impressive in his UCLA debut. He completed two tough throws for touchdowns to senior receiver Craig Bragg and finished the game 7-for-12 with 89 yards.   "I was so hyped to enter the game. I've been waiting for that rush my whole life," Koral said. "I'm pleased with my play. But we still lost, so it doesn't really matter." Olson will undergo tests to determine the extent of the injury to his knee, even though his season, and that of the Bruins, ended miserably.

SENIORS' FAREWELL: Although they may not be able to remember the game fondly, three of the Bruins' key seniors can remember the Las Vegas Bowl positively for what they did personally. Bragg led the Bruins with seven receptions and 95 yards and also scored two touchdowns. Punter Chris Kluwe finished a spectacular season with four punts downed inside the 20-yard line, including two inside the five-yard line. Cornerback Matt Clark picked off Wyoming's Corey Bramlet in UCLA's endzone and returned the ball all the way to the UCLA 48, which was the longest return in Las Vegas Bowl history.

NOTES: Senior receiver Tab Perry did not play after rolling his ankle in practice earlier in the week ... Senior linebacker Benjamin Lorier and senior defensive lineman Eyoseph Efseaff were suspended for the game for violating team rules ... Sophomore tailback Maurice Drew racked up 130 yards on 25 carries, his fifth 100-yard game of the season ... Drew also passed the 1,000-yard mark for the year, ending up with 1,018 ... The 27,784 in attendance was the most ever for the Las Vegas Bowl.

Comments

Post a comment