LOS ANGELES — The last time UCLA coach Karl Dorrell met Illinois jerseys in Pasadena, he was fending them off for touchdowns — and a Rose Bowl title.

On Saturday, he'll face the orange and blue with slightly different stakes— his first win as a head coach.

Dorrell played as a wide receiver for the Bruins' 1984 Rose Bowl team that defeated the Illini 45-9. He caught five passes for 61 yards and scored two touchdowns in the game. This weekend, he'll make his return to the UCLA sidelines at the Rose Bowl for the first time since he served as a graduate assistant with the Bruins in 1988.

"I don't know much about him, but I know he's a winner," Illinois head coach Ron Turner said. "He's won wherever he was ... so I think he'll bring the toughness and the discipline they need, and he'll help a program with tremendous athletes."

Dorrell took over the UCLA team in December when seven-year head coach Bob Toledo left. He brought with him a winning attitude.

Dorrell has coached as an assistant for 15 years at several different colleges, including Colorado for six years. The past three seasons he spent as the wide receivers coach for the Denver Broncos. He has participated in 12 bowl games as a player and coach, including three Rose Bowls and two Fiesta Bowls.

Series standings —

Illinois 1-up

Saturday will be the 10th meeting of the Bruins and the Illini, with Illinois leading the all-time series 5-4, 3-2 for games in California. The teams have met three times in bowl games. UCLA took the 1984 Rose Bowl title and the 1991 Sun Bowl title home, while Illinois won the 1947 Rose Bowl 45-14.

Player to Watch —

Quarterback Drew Olson

Olson will go for his first start this season after losing the job to fellow sophomore Matt Moore in the offseason. Moore went down in UCLA's loss to Colorado last weekend with a severe bone bruise and is out for several weeks. Olson is used to filling in for injured parties after jumping in for Cory Paus last year. The Bruins, who are also without third-string QB John Sciarra, will hope Olson isn't the next on the injured list. Sciarra was suspended from the Illinois game this week because of charges of disorderly conduct, public intoxication and providing a false name to an officer.

Also look out for...

Tight end Marcedes Lewis could make a snazzy sophomore duo with Olson. Last week against Colorado, he caught a team-high six passes for 96 yards and one touchdown. That total was more than his entire freshman season. He'll be helped by wide receiver Craig Bragg, who bragged top honors in the Pac-10 for punt returns last year and had 1,297 career receiving yards entering his senior year.

Turner's take

"I saw a very, very good football team. Extremely athletic. A huge offensive line ... good skill, great speed outside, two outstanding quarterbacks, and a good running back. Defensively, the front four is as good a front four as we'll play, probably in the country."