Ben Olson Hurts His Left Hand in Practice

Senior quarterback Drew Olson worked with UCLA’s first-team offense during the last 30 minutes of practice Tuesday after redshirt freshman Ben Olson had hurt his left hand.

“Ben dinged his hand on a helmet when he was throwing,� Coach Karl Dorrell said. “We don’t think it is anything significant, but he felt some tingling in there so we decided to keep him out.�

According to X-rays taken after practice, Ben Olson only bruised the hand. His status is day to day.

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Bruin fullbacks can expect more work as ball carriers this season.

“Everybody has a role now, that’s where we’ve grown,� offensive coordinator Tom Cable said. “You should see more people getting the football, whether it’s carries, catching the ball, screens, or whatever. That’s our plan; to really be versatile.�

Last year, starting fullback Michael Pitre had two carries. Two seasons ago, no UCLA fullback carried the ball.

Pitre did catch 10 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown last season.

“We would like [Pitre] to get 10 touches a game, but it’s hard to say because we have so many good players now,� Cable said.

“With our young tight ends and receivers coming on ... we have about seven or eight guys we can work the ball around to.

“And let’s not forget, we have No. 19 [Marcedes Lewis] doing his thing and No. 21 [Maurice Drew]. It will be those other guys who will take the pressure off everybody else and give us a lot of diversity.�

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Defensive tackle Kevin Brown may be out until October after undergoing ankle surgery Monday.

“We’re moving some people inside who have been doing a nice job,� Dorrell said. “We’re going to end up being in good shape.�

Chase Moline, Nathaniel Skaggs and Kenneth Lombard have been getting more work with the No. 1 unit.

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Sophomore wide receiver Marcus Everett, who suffered a right shoulder separation Monday, will be sidelined awhile but his injury is not as serious as first thought, according to Dorrell.... UCLA will start its second practice today at 7:30 p.m., the final camp public workout.