For anyone who thought UCLA would be in the bottom half of the Pacific-10 Conference standings at the conclusion of the 2003 season, the Bruins have been surprising.
So startling that UCLA could be considered the surprise of the Pac-10 this season. UCLA (5-2 overall, 3-0 Pac-10) proved that with a 23-20 overtime victory over California on Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
“We keep finding a way to win,” UCLA head coach Karl Dorrell said after the game. “We have a little luck on our side. It was a heck of a football game.”
California trailed for most of the game, but came back to tie the score with a touchdown and 2-point conversion with 11 seconds to play.
UCLA’s Justin Medlock kicked a 41-yard field goal in extra time, then watched as California’s Tyler Frederickson hit the left upright on a 50-yard attempt, giving the Bruins the victory.
The close win allowed UCLA to stay in a
tie for first in the Pac-10’s race for the conference crown.
The Bruins had to battle through a quarterback dilemma early in the season that claimed sophomore Matt Moore.
He won the starting job to begin the season, but gave way to sophomore Drew Olson after an injury in the first game of the season against Colorado, a 16-14 loss.
At the time, Moore was expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks with a severe bone bruise on his left tibia.
Moore is back but has been designated as the backup to Olson. He has seen action in two games since coming back from the injury but is waiting for his chance to start.
“Right now we have a four-game winning streak,” UCLA offensive coordinator Stave Axman told the Los Angeles Times. “I feel our quarterback is playing well, and he’s getting better. To make a change — you’ve got to worry about making that type of change. On the other hand, we feel very confident in Matt and his ability to step in.”
Olson has passed for 1,107 yards this season in six games, five of which are starts. He has completed 91 of 162 passes and has thrown four touchdown strikes while being picked off five times.
The Bruins are 5-1 this season when Olson starts.

Walter wastes no time
Arizona State quarterback Andrew Walter lit up North Carolina Saturday, just one week after throwing for more than 300 yards against Oregon.
The junior was 34 of 58 for 408 yards. He has now thrown for more than 300 yards in three straight weeks after accomplishing the feat in a win over the Ducks and a loss to USC.
Walter’s Heisman campaign, which was in full steam entering the season, has dwindled a bit, and it’s unlikely it will get back on track enough for him to make a charge this season.
But next year is a different story.

Not going to happen
ESPN.com reported on Monday that the Western Athletic Conference plans to raid the Sun Belt Conference. An announcement was made last week that Rice, Southern Methodist and Tulsa would leave the WAC after accepting invitations to join Conference USA.
The WAC, according to the article, is eyeing eight teams from the Sun Belt as possible replacements.
Speculation now has it that the Pac-10 will follow suit and look for programs to expand the conference; however, it has said it will not follow the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big East Conference, Conference USA and the WAC in NCAA dominoes. There are no plans to expand the conference to more than the 10 teams that currently play in the conference.
The conference hasn’t said anything after the recent news, but Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen told the Los Angeles Times on Sept. 24 that nothing is in the works.
“We’ve determined that we are not going to be directly or indirectly affected by what happens in the ACC or the Big East,” Hansen said. “In addition, our members are very comfortable with our configuration and have no desire to change. We have not discussed expansion.”