UCLA Loses QB Olson to Broken Foot

It’s been a bad week to be a quarterback in Los Angeles.

Just a few days after USC signalcaller Mark Sanchez went down with a dislocated left kneecap, UCLA announced that quarterback Ben Olson would have to have surgery to repair a broken right foot.

Olson likely won’t be ready to play for at least two months. It's a potentially crippling loss for UCLA.

The injury makes the Bruins' already daunting season opener against Tennessee all the more challenging, and figures to set back offensive coordinator Norm Chow’s plans for the rest of the season, too. With Olson out, and with backup Patrick Cowan missing the season with an injury of his own, the quarterback job will fall to either redshirt freshman Chris Forcier or recent transfer Kevin Craft.

UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel said the injury was a “crushing blow” for Olson.

"He put so much time and effort into the program, it's just unfortunate,” the coach said. "Sometimes you have a hard time understanding why things happen."

Photo: UCLA quarterback Ben Olson will undergo surgery to repair a broken foot. He likely won’t return until October. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)