JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers ANOTHER SETBACK FOR BIG BEN- UCLA quarterback Ben Olson, a 2002 graduate of Thousand Oaks High, is sacked by multiple Notre Dame defenders during Saturday's 20-6 Fighting Irish victory at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Olson suffered a knee injury on the play and is expected to miss at least a month of action. UCLA's record now stands at 4-2 overall. The Bruins are 3-0 in the Pac-10. "You're only as good as the players around you."

The above statement, albeit a bit cliché, holds as true today as the day it was first uttered, probably during an off-the-cuff pregame speech made by some underpaid coach trying to spur inspiration from a locker room full of ego-driven athletes.

Even in today's megamillion dollar sports climate, where big names like Lebron James, Kobe Bryant and LaDanian Tomlinson are marketed to fans as individuals, no star- no matter how bright- can win consistently without the help of a proper supporting cast.

Last Saturday's college football showdown at the Rose Bowl between local favorite UCLA and the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame- a game that was supposed to act as measuring stick between two of the best passers ever to come out of the Conejo Valley, Oaks Christian's Jimmy Clausen and Thousand Oaks' Ben Olson- was a perfect example.

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers INTO THE WIN COLUMN- Although he threw for only 84 yards in the game, Oaks Christian graduate Jimmy Clausen led Notre Dame (1-5) to its first win of the year against UCLA at the Rose Bowl. Passhappy fans and plothungry sports journalists expecting to see the old Bruin lefty and the young Irish righty (Olson is 24; Clausen is 20) trade blows for four quarters got what they should have expected between two teams with much bigger concerns than who's under center: an ugly game marred by turnovers, mental miscues, missed assignments, conservative play calling and one very disappointing injury.

For those of us who had foolishly waited for weeks in anticipation of a dream Acorn matchup between two local sports demigods, the fantasy ended abruptly.

Just one quarter into the game, and after completing just 4-of-10 passes for 54 yards, Olson had to be taken out with a partial tear of the lateral collateral ligament in his left knee, an injury caused when he was hit in the backfield by two very poorly blocked Notre Dame defenders and fumbled the ball (see picture at left).

As UCLA fans looked on in terror at the Rose Bowl's mega screen replay of what looked to be a very serious injury to their best quarterback- and dozens of sportswriters began to rethink their focus- Clausen took the field at the UCLA 1-yard line and promptly led his team to three failed plays and a field goal.

And things pretty much went that way for the Fighting Irish's favorite new son the whole game.

Try as he might, Clausen, CIF's most prolific touchdown passer, couldn't overcome the shortcomings of those around him, or some of his own.

When he threw a perfect pass, his receivers couldn't get open; when they seemed to have a step, Jimmy sent it sailing over their heads- or was sacked. The friendly confines of Oaks Christian must have seemed a world away.

For a quarterback who almost never saw the turf in high school- thanks to grade-A group on his offensive line and a plethora of playmakers around him- Clausen is getting all the green face time he can handle these days at Notre Dame.

But in the end, the Golden Domers and their determined quarterback did emerge victorious, 20-6, escaping with their first win of the season thanks to an opportunistic defense and one inept UCLA backup.

Clausen even got his first taste of a collegiate end zone, scoring on a 1-yard quarterback keeper late in the third quarter to give the Irish a 13-6 lead.

After the game, Clausen led a parade of Notre Dame players to each end zone to pay their respects to the thousands of Irish fans who had come to root the team on.

The crowds' screams of appreciation, many of them directed toward Clausen himself, must have left the highly-touted passer humbled, especially after passing for just 84 yards and zero touchdowns.

"First of many Jimmy," one Irish fan yelled, "The first of many!"

Yet for local onlookers who were lucky enough to see both Olson and Clausen play in high school, the story of Saturday's contest was clear.

While it's uncertain if Ben and Jimmy will ever live up to the expectations they set for themselves dominating the playing fields of Southern California, one things is certain- they won't be able to do it alone.