Tag: Ethan Garbers

Going deep on UCLA’s quarterback depth in 2025

The Bruins lack experience at quarterback heading into 2025. This could be a wild ride.

Though football season is many months away, the UCLA Bruins are hard at work building their program for 2025. After a bevy of offseason moves along the coaching staff and in the transfer portal, UCLA football head coach DeShaun Foster’s team will look very different in 2025. The most notable shakeup for the 2025 season will be the quarterback position.

After finishing his redshirt senior season, former Bruin Ethan Garbers will no longer be with the program, leaving a significant hole in the lineup. In an up-and-down season with the Bruins, Garbers finished with 2,727 yards on 69.6% passing with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

In addition to Garbers’ departure, the Bruins lost three more quarterbacks. Chase Griffin and Nick Billoups finished their final season of eligibility with the Bruins after the 2024 season. After starting one game last season against Penn State, the Bruins lost Justyn Martin to the transfer portal.

Today, the Bruins have only four remaining quarterbacks on their roster heading into 2025, not including incoming freshmen, none of whom have taken a snap in the Big Ten, let alone the NCAA.  The Bruins quarterback room consists of rising sophomores Henry Hasselbeck, Dermaricus Davis, Karson Gordon, and redshirt sophomore Luke Duncan.

Though the transfer portal could change the Bruins’ fortunes in an instant, at the moment, UCLA has a severe lack of experience at the quarterback position.

As the offseason turns into the preseason for UCLA, the quarterback competition will begin to heat up, and front-runners for the job will emerge.

For newly hired Tino Sunseri, his abilities as both a quarterback coach and offensive coordinator will be tested as he and the coaching staff separate the wheat from the chaff in the UCLA quarterback room.

UCLA football ends season with win over Fresno State

The Bruins end their season on a high note.

The UCLA Bruins finished the season the way they started. Taking down Fresno State 20-13, the Bruins closed out an eventful first season in the Big Ten with a win.

The Bruins secured Saturday’s victory with a 15-play, 78-yard drive. Late in the fourth quarter at the Rose Bowl, UCLA’s offense took command of the low-scoring affair to give the Bruins a two-score lead, 20-10. In the waking minutes of the game, the Bruins’ defense stiffened, and their special teams secured the win on the onside kick.

In what was likely quarterback Ethan Garbers’ final game in a Bruins uniform, the senior finished with 289 yards on 26-40 passing and the game-clinching drive.

Finishing 5-7 on the year, the Bruins weathered a difficult schedule under first-year head coach DeShaun Foster. Though the Bruins’ coaching staff often showed some inexperience, the marked culture shift in Westwood should follow them into 2025 and bear fruit down the line.

With a bevy of talented players joining the program next season, UCLA has set itself up for success in the future as they say goodbye to several key seniors. Though the sun sets for UCLA’s 2024 college football season, the future remains bright for the Bruins.

UCLA football falls to USC Trojans in Big Ten slugfest

The UCLA Bruins fell short against rival USC at the Rose Bowl.

The UCLA Bruins fell to the USC Trojans on Saturday night 19-13, losing to their biggest rival at the Rose Bowl. Dropping to 4-7 on the season, the Bruins are no longer eligible for a bowl game in the 2024 college football season.

Despite a strong performance by Bruins’ quarterback Ethan Garbers, who finished with 265 yards on 20-29 passing and a touchdown, the UCLA’s offense failed to convert at critical junctures and let the game slip away.

In Saturday night’s performance, the Bruins were an abysmal 3-11 on third down and 0-3 on fourth down, with playcalling and execution proving to be the deciding factor.

On the most crucial play of the contest, trailing 16-13 with just under five minutes remaining from their own 34-yard line, head coach DeShaun Foster opted to keep the offense on the field to extend the Bruins drive.

Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy drew up a quarterback sneak for Ethan Garbers, who was stuffed at the line of scrimmage, turning the ball over to the Trojans and effectively ending the game.

Though the Bruins were competitive with the Trojans all night, UCLA was a dollar short and a day too late in all three phases. Scoreless in the fourth quarter, UCLA could not rise to the occasion in the game’s biggest moments.

Saturday’s loss marked the beginning of the end of the Bruins’ first season in the Big Ten and another example of how far the team still has to go. The Bruins look to regroup and reset for their final game next week against Fresno State.

UCLA football exposed by Washington Huskies in Big Ten loss

The Bruins lost an important Big Ten game to the Huskies.

The UCLA Bruins winning streak has come to an end. Losing to the Washington Huskies 31-19, UCLA drops to 3-5 in the Big Ten.

After three straight games of complementary football, the Bruins lost on the margins against Washington and reverted to early-season form.

From the jump, the Bruins were out of sync, punting on their first three drives and putting Eric Bieniemy’s offense behind the eight ball.

Unable to chew the clock and control the pace of play, the Bruins fell behind 7-0 early and faced an uphill battle against a talented Husky secondary. At the end of the first half, however, the Bruins looked to have life.

Quarterback Ethan Garbers orchestrated a ten-play, 65-yard touchdown drive, capped off with a one-yard touchdown pass to Kwazi Gilmer to bring the score to 10-14 entering the third quarter.

But in the second half, the Bruins broke down. UCLA’s stout defense allowed 17 points in the second half, and the offense stalled, save for a late touchdown pass to Moliki Matavo in the fourth quarter. Garbers finished with 267 yards on 27-44 passing with a pair of touchdowns and a fumble but could not boost the Bruins to a victory.

Now 4-6 on the season, UCLA’s chances of earning a bowl-berth look slim.

With USC and Fresno State on the slate to close out the season, the Bruins hope to win out and regroup for 2025.

UCLA football sends Iowa packing in Big Ten takedown

The Bruins beat the Hawkeyes at their own game at the Rose Bowl on Friday night.

The UCLA Bruins won their first game at the Rose Bowl this season, knocking off the Iowa Hawkeyes 20-17. After an upset win over Nebraska, the Bruins proved themselves against a gritty Big Ten team and sent the Hawkeyes home empty-handed.

Though the Bruins picked up their third-straight win, the game did not look pretty from the jump. Quarterback Ethan Garbers threw an interception on the game’s first possession, setting the Hawkeyes up with great field position inside UCLA territory. Three plays later, a two-yard touchdown from tailback Kaleb Johnson put Iowa up 7-0, taking the air out of the Rose Bowl.

But the Bruins rallied, showing a level of poise and resiliency not yet seen by the team this season. After falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter, UCLA scored 17 unanswered points and capped off the first half with a 29-yard touchdown strike from Garbers to wideout Logan Loya to take a 17-10 lead.

In the second half, UCLA’s defense took over. Holding the Hawkeyes’ running game to only 80 yards on 2.6 yards per carry, UCLA won Friday night’s Big Ten showdown in the trenches.

Forcing an injured Hawkeye passing game to throw on them,  UCLA’s opportunistic defense tallied three turnovers and proved they could weather an average performance from Garbers by capitalizing on Iowa’s mistakes.

In the end, the Bruins were the more complete team on Friday, demonstrating why they are an up-and-coming Big Ten team to be reckoned with.

Now 4-5 on the season, entering their next game versus Washington, UCLA has a chance to reclaim a .500 record and stay in the hunt for a bowl game berth.

Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz raves on Ethan Garbers

Big praise for Ethan Garbers.

The Iowa Hawkeyes travel to play the UCLA Bruins in a Friday night showdown at the Rose Bowl.

UCLA is coming off back-to-back wins and the play of quarterback Ethan Garbers has drastically improved.

As a result, Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferenz had some thoughts about Garbers ahead of the showdown, per Josh Helmer of Hawkeyes Wire. 

“He’s thrown the ball well, efficiently, and getting it to a lot of different people, including the backs. Doing a good job there. Then the last couple weeks he’s pulled it down and made some big runs, too. If you’re not sound in what you do defensively, he’s not afraid to do that. I wouldn’t describe him as a run primary quarterback, but he’s a guy who can do that. It’s one more way you can get hurt defensively. In the last two wins those were key plays.”

After a sluggish start to the season and some even calling for Justyn Martin to take over, Garbers has turned it around and UCLA is hoping for another victory.

UCLA football upsets Nebraska for second-straight Big Ten win

The Bruins survived on Saturday to take down their second-straight Big Ten opponent.

The UCLA Bruins have back-to-back wins for the first time in the 2024 college football season. Taking down their second-straight Big Ten opponent, UCLA upset Nebraska on the road 27-20 to improve to 3-5 on the season.

Behind a productive performance by all three units, the Bruins offense, defense, and special teams played in perfect unison, never trailing in the game for a second.

The Bruins started the day strong, owning the time of possession and holding Nebraska to only two yards in the first quarter. A pair of field goals and a touchdown pass later, the Bruins held a narrow but pronounced 13-7 lead.

In the second half, the Bruins kept piling it on. Linebacker Kain Medrano intercepted Cornhusker quarterback Dylan Raiola and returned it for a 38-yard pick-six, and shortly after, Bruins quarterback Ethan Garbers tossed his second touchdown to wideout Kwazi Gilmerpass to give the Bruins a 27-14 lead. Despite a late surge by the Cornhuskers, UCLA’s defense stiffened to secure the win with a game-sealing pick by cornerback Kaylin Moore.

Garbers put together another nice game through the air and on the ground, combining for 275 yards on 17-25 passing with two touchdowns.

Capitalizing on the over-aggressiveness of the Cornhusker defense, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s use of play-action and misdirection proved to be a winning, on-the-fly strategy for the Bruins offense all game long.

But the most notable takeaway from the Bruins win was that head coach DeShaun Foster, for the second week in a row, had his players ready to go on the road. With four winnable games remaining for UCLA, bowl eligibility could be on the table for the surging 2024 Bruins.

Ethan Garbers earns Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week

What an honor for Ethan Garbers.

The UCLA Bruins got the first Big Ten Conference win. It came against Rutgers in a road game that began at 9 AM Pacific Time, Noon Eastern, in another cross-country road trip.

However, UCLA got the 35-32 win on Saturday. The biggest highlight of the game was UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers.

Garbers threw for 383 yards and had just six incompletions while tossing four touchdowns and rushing for another.

As a result, Garbers was named the Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Week. 

Entering the game, Garbers’ play had been a talking point with questions about whether or not Justyn Martin would take over. 

Garbers even had only four passing touchdowns all year before the Rutgers game, and he had two games with zero passing scores and had at least one interception in every start.

Nonetheless, Garbers earned a huge honor after a strong performance against Rutgers. UCLA has a bye next.

UCLA football takes down Rutgers for first Big Ten win

The Bruins finally notched their first win in the Big Ten, correcting some of their past mistakes against Rutgers.

The UCLA Bruins have finally snapped their losing streak. Taking down their first Big Ten opponent of the season, head coach DeShaun Foster and UCLA topped a talented Rutgers team 35-32.

Scoring a season-high 21 points in the first half, the Bruins offense looked markedly more dynamic in the much-needed win. Starting the game strong with an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, UCLA set the tone early.

In an explosive performance by quarterback Ethan Garbers, the Bruins signal-caller topped 400 total yards, finishing with 32/38 passing, 383 yards through the air, and five total touchdowns.

Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s struggling offense found a rhythm and created a solid framework for the Bruins going forward. Able to finally establish the run, the Bruins rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown.

UCLA’s defense played characteristically well and showcased what this Bruins team is capable of doing when firing on all cylinders.

Leading by nine heading into the fourth quarter, Foster and the Bruins closed out the game and held on for the win.

For Foster, he earns his first win in the Big Ten and breathes life back into a program in desperate need of a boost. The Bruins look to continue their win streak at Nebraska in two weeks’ time.

UCLA Bruins drop to 1-5 after loss to Minnesota

The UCLA Bruins extended their losing streak after another poor offensive performance.

The UCLA Bruins have suffered several tough Big Ten losses this season, none more crushing than on Saturday night. Extending their losing streak to five games, the Bruins fell to the Minnesota Golden Gophers 21-17 at home.

UCLA held the lead with two minutes remaining, 17-14, but a defensive breakdown inside the five by the Bruins allowed a four-yard touchdown pass from Golden Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer. With only 27 seconds remaining, the Bruins trailed by four.

On the ensuing UCLA possession, the offense stalled.

Questionable entering the game with an ankle injury, quarterback Ethan Garbers started over Justyn Martin, finishing with 23 of 32 passing with 263 yards, a pair of interceptions, and a touchdown in the losing effort.

UCLA’s rushing offense continued to underwhelm, only averaging a dismal 1.4 yards per carry on 26 attempts for 36 yards, a testament to offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s lackluster coaching.

Head coach DeShaun Foster and the Bruins head back to the drawing board looking for answers after dropping an important game that was within their grasp.

Traveling east next Saturday to take on Rutgers, UCLA looks to snap their losing streak and find their first win in the Big Ten.