Sportjunky, you are correct, I jumped the gun saying Cowan was out this wknd. Below is the latest article I could find on the subject.
UCLA quarterback Olson sits out practice
<!--subtitle--><!--byline-->By Brian Dohn, Staff Writer
<!--date-->Article Launched: 11/28/2007 12:00:00 AM PST
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UCLA wanted to have its full contingent of quarterbacks go through a full practice for the first time since training camp, but that plan was pushed back a day when Ben Olson was pulled from team drills because of soreness in his left knee.
It meant Patrick Cowan, who took part in his first full practice since suffering a collapsed lung Nov. 3, took the reps with the first-team offense. Osaar Rasshan took the second-team reps.
"It was just sore," Olson said. "I'll be fine. They kind of held me out, shut me down."
Olson felt tightness during individual drills at the start of practice, so the coaching staff decided to keep him inactive for the rest of practice. He had his first game action since injuring his knee Oct.6 against Notre Dame when he started the second half of Saturday's win against Oregon.
"I knew (the soreness) was going to be the case given what he did this past weekend," Dorrell said. "We decided not to give him hardly any reps (Tuesday). He doesn't have any swelling. It's just sore."
With Olson not practicing, Cowan, for at least a day, moved into the starter's role. He moved well in the pocket and was able to scramble, although he did say he was "a little winded" because of the practice time he missed.
"He looked good," Dorrell said. "He did a nice job of orchestrating things, and making nice throws and moved around pretty good. He had no respiratory problems." Cowan, who was the starter when UCLA
beat USC 13-9 last season, said he was able to do some conditioning work while his lung healed, but he still felt the effects of taking most of the snaps in his first day back at practice.
"Pat was good," UCLA offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said. "He played with a sense of timing, tempo, which was really good. He's had a few weeks for his legs to heal up, and he's pretty fresh. I was encouraged by the way he practiced."
Dorrell added an announcement would be made later in the week regarding UCLA's starting quarterback.
Rasshan's mobility is supposed to be an asset at quarterback, but he said the game plan against Oregon was more pocket-oriented rather than using his ability to roll out.
"The game-planning was different vs. Oregon than the previous two weeks," Rasshan said. "I wanted to get outside of the pocket, but the coaches decided to stick more with the West Coast offense. I guess they wanted to get me more experience in that. So it was a little difficult to get going in the first half."
Rasshan was 0 for 7 with an interception before he was benched at the start the second half.
UCLA walk-on tailback Craig Sheppard, who is second on the depth chart because of the injuries at the position, did not practice.
"His groin is still pretty sore," Dorrell said. "We need to give him more rest. We'll see about him. We want to get him ready to play on Saturday."
Former UCLA cornerback Mike Durden, who earned four letters at UCLA, died Monday due to complications from diabetes at the age of 47.
Durden, who played at Helix High, the same school as Dorrell, was a senior on the 1983 team that defeated Michigan in the Rose Bowl and finished 10-1-1, and ranked No. 5 in the nation.
He is survived by his wife, Donna, his sons Eric and Parris; his daughters Lisa and Brandy, his mother (June) and father (Earnel), his brother Allan and a host of other relatives. Pocket plan Sheppard sits Durden passes
