Moore Is Starter for Now

In an announcement that had all the suspense of the last two USC-UCLA football games -- lopsided Trojan victories for those with short memories -- Matt Moore was officially named starting quarterback for UCLA’s season opener at Colorado Sept. 6.

Moore has outplayed Drew Olson since last Saturday’s scrimmage and worked almost exclusively with the first team all week, and virtually every Bruin player thought Moore had the job. But even with Friday’s announcement, the quarterback controversy that has overshadowed Bruin camp appears far from over.

“The first week, what happens if by the end of the third quarter we haven’t moved the ball, would Coach [Karl Dorrell] or I be afraid to make a change, put Drew in to see if he can generate some offense? Heck no,� said Steve Axman, UCLA’s offensive coordinator. “They’re still very close.�

Does Moore, the sophomore who completed 33 of 62 passes for 412 yards in 2002, feel he’s won the job for the whole season, or one week?

“I don’t know -- that’s a really good question,� Moore said. “They weren’t real clear on that. They didn’t say. I feel I’ve won it for the season, but that’s how I think.�

It’s not how Olson thinks.

“Anything could happen, things could change week to week,� said Olson, a sophomore who completed 53 of 104 passes for 702 yards in 2002. “Right now, Matt is the starter, and I support him. I’ll be ready to go if the team needs me.�

There was some speculation that the runner-up in the quarterback derby might transfer, but Olson said he has no plans to leave school or to redshirt this season, a move that would put him a class behind Moore.

“I love this game, and I love these guys here,� Olson said. “The backup role is important. I’m going to keep battling, keep pushing Matt. I’m going to be feisty, go at him harder, and I won’t let up. Keep it close, and you never know what will happen. The first play, [Moore] might get hurt, so you have to be ready to go.�

But at what point does the competition become unhealthy? If the Bruins go three-and-out and Moore throws two incomplete passes on UCLA’s first possession against Colorado, is he going to be looking to the sideline, wondering if Olson is warming up? How much patience will Dorrell and Axman have with the starter?

“They have to perform, and they are under pressure, but if a guy throws an interception, is he going to be yanked right away? No,� Axman said. “You have to let the quarterback play. It’s not going to be, ‘Hey, you had a bad series, you’re gone.’ Matt’s got the ball.�

Moore said he won’t be looking over his shoulder against Colorado.

“I don’t mean to be big-headed, but there’s a starter and there’s a backup, and in any game, if the starter is doing poorly, any coach is going to give the backup a chance,� Moore said. “But I don’t think that will have an effect on my play.�

Olson came out of spring practice with an edge over Moore, but Moore caught up quickly once he dedicated himself to learning the playbook.

“The guy who was most consistent won the job,� Dorrell said. “It was very close all the way through. Where Matt has gone from spring ball to now, I wanted to give him the first shot and see if he can hang onto it. The good thing is we have a backup quarterback who is the same caliber as the starter. I feel good about the depth we have there in case something happens.�

Axman said he believes both quarterbacks will play.

“Matt has the nod now,� Axman said. “Does that mean he’ll be the starter every game? We have two good quarterbacks, and if one guy is not doing the job, the other has the ability to step in and do it.�

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Dorrell finally got around to signing his six-year contract this week, but because a high-ranking school administrator is out of town and hasn’t signed the deal yet, the contract has not been fully executed. The deal calls for Dorrell to receive a base salary of $600,000 a season with incentives that could push him over $1 million.