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Ethan Garbers goes from backup to star in UCLA’s LA Bowl victory
He started the year as UCLA’s top quarterback. Ethan Garbers finished it the same way.
Despite injuries and inconsistent play on offense throughout the season, the redshirt junior led the Bruins to their first bowl win since 2015 with a triumphant second half Saturday, entering in relief of the injured Collin Schlee to help UCLA to a 35-22 victory over Boise State in the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium.
Garbers, who suffered an arm injury during UCLA’s regular-season finale against California, finished with 152 yards and two touchdowns on nine-of-12 passing with 38 rushing yards. He entered the game on UCLA’s first offensive drive of the third quarter after Schlee appeared to hit his head on the turf after a 44-yard rush.
Schlee, a transfer from Kent State who had completed fewer than half of his passes this season, flashed his dual-threat ability with 127 rushing yards on seven carries, but UCLA’s offense crawled when he was at the helm. The Bruins (8-5) had more penalties (eight) in the first half than points, taking a 16-7 deficit into the locker room.
Starting when Garbers entered the game facing first-and-goal from the Boise State nine-yard line, the Bruins scored touchdowns on three consecutive drives. Garbers completed his first eight passes, including 39- and 41-yard strikes to J.Michael Sturdivant.
Ethan Garbers leads UCLA to comeback victory over Boise State
🏈 UCLA 35, Boise State 22 — FINAL
Behind a stellar effort from quarterback Ethan Garbers, UCLA rallied to a comeback victory over Boise State in the LA Bowl to deliver coach Chip Kelly his first bowl win with the Bruins.
Garbers entered the game for the injured Collin Schlee with the Bruins down 16-7 early in the third quarter. He completed nine of 12 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns to spearhead the win and strengthen his bid to be UCLA’s starting quarterback next season.
TJ Harden had 105 yards and two touchdowns in 20 carries.
Boise State strikes back with 66-yard touchdown run
🏈 UCLA 35, Boise State 22 — 5:08 left in the fourth quarter
Just when it looked like the game was over, Boise State running back George Holani scored on a 66-yard touchdown run to keep the Broncos in the contest in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter.
Boise State failed to convert on a two-point try despite a heroic effort to by quarterback CJ Tiller to find Prince Strachan in the end zone, only for the wide receiver to step out of bounds as he made the catch.
The Broncos still have three timeouts left.
Boise State tried an onside kick following the touchdown, but the ball was recovered by Ryan Gragun at Broncos’ 43.
J.Michael Sturdivant touchdown puts Bruins in complete control
🏈 UCLA 35, Boise State 16 — 6:18 left in the fourth quarter
One play after Alex Johnson’s interception, Ethan Garbers connected on a 40-yard touchdown pass to J.Michael Sturdivant to give the Bruins a commanding lead late.
Garbers, who supposedly wasn’t healthy enough to start the game because of a right forearm injury, has put on a show since replacing the injured Collin Schlee at quarterback. Garbers has completed nine of 12 passes for 152 yard and two touchdowns.
UCLA’s Alex Johnson picks off Boise State’s CJ Tiller
🏈 UCLA 28, Boise State 16 — 7:11 left in the fourth quarter
UCLA defensive back Alex Johnson, the Pac-12 interceptions leader this season, picked off a pass from Boise State quarterback CJ Tiller to continue the Bruins’ dominant second half.
Tiller had completed a 26-yard pass on third down to wide receiver Prince Strachan before throwing the interception.
UCLA scores another touchdown to cap a dominant third quarter
🏈 UCLA 28, Boise State 16 — End of the third quarter
With Ethan Garbers under center, the Bruins have come alive.
Capping off a three-play sequence that started with a 15-yard run by Ethan Garbers and a 41-yard catch by J.Michael Sturdivant, TJ Harden scored on a 14-yard run to extend UCLA’s lead in the final seconds of the third quarter.
The UCLA defense held Boise State to its third three and out in the quarter to put the ball back into Garbers’ hands. Garbers is eight for eight for 112 yards and a touchdown since replacing injured starter Collin Schlee early in the third quarter.
Sturdivant has 102 yards on three catches.
Boise State, which had 126 rushing yards in the first half, has just 26 yards on the ground in the second half.
Chip Kelly’s explanation for UCLA’s third quarter surge? “It was a rousing halftime speech. All the boys rallied around it...no, I’m just kidding,” he told ESPN sideline reporter Kayla Burton. “Our kids are making plays like they know how to make plays.”
UCLA takes lead after spectacular catch by J.Michael Sturdivant
🏈 UCLA 21, Boise State 16 — 3:03 left in the third quarter
TJ Harden scored on a one-yard run to cap another impressive touchdown drive for the Bruins and give them the lead for the second time tonight.
A spectacular 39-yard diving catch by J.Michael Sturdivant on a perfectly placed pass from Ethan Garbers put UCLA on the Boise State five-yard line and fueled the nine-play, 72-yard drive.
The Bruins, who’ve held Boise State to a pair of three and outs in the second half, were called for a sixth false start penalty on the scoring drive. They have 10 penalties for 74 yards tonight, but they’ve looked like a different team since halftime.
UCLA quarterback Collin Schlee doesn’t appear to be coming back for the Bruins — he’s on the sideline wearing a blue cap and cheering on his teammates.
UCLA cuts into Boise State’s lead on Ethan Garbers TD pass
🏈 Boise State 16, UCLA 14 — 10:49 left in the third quarter
UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers connected with wide receiver Kyle Ford on a five-yard touchdown pass to cut into Boise State’s lead early in the third quarter.
Garbers got off the pass just before he took a big hit, but that didn’t stop him from celebrating the touchdown with Ford and the rest of his teammates.
Garbers entered the game just three plays earlier when starting quarterback Collin Schlee sustained an injury after a 44-yard run to the Boise State nine-yard line.
And in what has become a tradition for “home” teams playing at SoFi Stadium, Boise State has more fans at the LA Bowl tonight than UCLA does, according to game host Rob Gronkowski.
Ethan Garbers enters game for injured Collin Schlee
🏈 Boise State 16, UCLA 7 — 11:26 left in the third quarter
UCLA quarterback Collin Schlee exited the game for the sideline medical tent after he sustained an injury at the end of a 44-yard run.
Ethan Garbers took over for UCLA at quarterback at the Boise State nine-yard line.
The Bruins defense forced a three and out on Boise State on its first possession of the second half.
UCLA down 16-7 at halftime as penalties prove costly for Bruins
🏈 Boise State 16, UCLA 7 — HALFTIME
UCLA’s final of the possession of the half started well, with Collin Schlee connecting on a 22-yard pass to J.Michael Sturdivant, but it more or less went nowhere from there because of penalties.
After Schlee nearly lost the ball on a fumble, UCLA’s attempt to get close in on Boise State on the scoreboard effectively ended after false start and holding penalties compromised its drive.
The Bruins have a Chip Kelly-infuriating eight penalties for 64 yards tonight. Boise State wasn’t called for single penalty in the first half.
Schlee has completed 10 of 15 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown. He also has 83 yards on six carries — 50 of which came on a single run.
Running backs Ashton Jeanty and George Holani have spearheaded the Boise State offense. Jeanty has 74 yards on 12 carries and Holani has 52 yards on 12 carries. Quarterback CJ Tiller has completed five of nine passes for 76 yards.
Boise State extends its lead on a George Holani touchdown
🏈 Boise State 16, UCLA 7 — 4:33 left in the second quarter
The Bruins could really use Lombardi Award winner Laiatu Latu right about now.
Boise State running back George Holani scored on a one-yard touchdown run to extend the lead for a Broncos team that is proving virtually unstoppable in the running game. Boise State has 126 rushing yards so far.
A 16-yard run by Ashton Jeanty coupled with Jeanty’s successful conversion on fourth and one inside the red zone propelled the Broncos’ eight-play, 52-yard drive. A 15-yard pass interference call on UCLA cornerback Jaylin Davies also didn’t help the Bruins.
Jaylan Jeffers’ false-start penalty on fourth and one — UCLA’s third false start of the game — ended the Bruins’ fourth possession with a three and out.
Boise State takes the lead on a third field goal
🏈 Boise State 9, UCLA 7 — 11:01 left in the second quarter
UCLA continues to bend but not break.
Jonah Dalmas kicked a 34-yard field goal — his third field goal of the game — after the Bruins pressured Boise State quarterback CJ Tiller to throw away the ball on third down. Boise State has yet to score a touchdown in three trips to the red zone.
UCLA gave up a 30-yard run to Ashton Jeanty and a 16-yard run to George Holani on the 10-play, 59-yard drive.
Collin Schlee’s remarkable efforts push UCLA into the lead
🏈 UCLA 7, Boise State 6 — 1:38 left in the first quarter
Collin Schlee put on a one-man show during the Bruins’ third possession of the game, capping it off with a remarkable backhanded flip to tight end Hudson Habermehl for a five-yard touchdown pass.
UCLA’s six-play, 83-yard drive was fueled mostly by an impressive 50-yard run by Schlee that showcased his speed and ability to shed tackles.
Boise State extends its lead on another field goal
🏈 Boise State 6, UCLA 0 — 3:36 left in the first quarter
Jonah Dalmas kicked another field goal for Boise State — this time for 23 yards — as the UCLA defense found a bit of redemption after giving a big play to Boise State a few plays earlier.
Boise State running back George Holani turned a short pass into a spectacular, 45-yard run, breaking multiple tackles and finding daylight to move the ball into the red zone. On third down, UCLA Jaylin Davies prevented a Broncos touchdown when he broke up a pass from CJ Tiller intended by Billy Bowens.
The Bruins went three and out on their second possession. The Bruins have just 22 total yards to Boise State’s 106 so far.
Boise State jumps out to 3-0 lead in first quarter
🏈 Boise State 3, UCLA 0 — 8:58 left in the first quarter
Jonah Dalmas kicked a 34-yard field goal to give Boise State the early lead after the UCLA defense slowed a 10-play, 59-yard drive by the Broncos in the red zone.
UCLA defensive lineman Gabriel Murphy came up big on third down, pressuring Boise State quarterback CJ Tiller into making a bad pass over the middle that linebacker Kain Medrano tipped and defensive back Jordan Anderson nearly picked off.
UCLA picked up a first down on its opening possession, but quarterback Collin Schlee second pass attempt was nearly intercepted by Boise State cornerback A’Marion McCoy on third down.
Oh, and this happened before the game.
Who will start at quarterback for the Bruins in the L.A. Bowl?
It appears Collin Schlee will be making his second start for UCLA at quarterback when the Bruins take on Boise State in the L.A. Bowl at SoFi Stadium this afternoon.
Schlee took the first warmup snaps from starting center Duke Clemens, suggesting he’s in line to start ahead of Ethan Garbers.
Schlee, a transfer from Kent State, appeared in several games for the Bruins this season, showing off his athletic prowess and an ability to run the ball.
Whether coach Chip Kelly plans to rotate him in and out of the game like he has done previously remains to be seen.
One player who hasn’t been seen in warmups is Carson Steele. The gator-loving running back wasn’t at practice earlier this week, although he hasn’t publicly announced an intention to enter the NCAA transfer portal.
Rob Gronkowski will be singing national anthem — and ‘grinding’ — at L.A. Bowl
When Rob Gronkowski was announced as the new host for the college football bowl game at SoFi Stadium earlier this fall, the former NFL great promised he would be involved in the event from beginning to end.
That involvement, he told The Times in October, would include “a live performance by me — it may be at the beginning of the game, it may be at halftime, but I’m gonna be doing a live performance myself as well.”
Turns out, when UCLA plays Boise State in the L.A. Bowl Hosted by Gronk on Saturday, the four-time Super Bowl champion will be performing before the game.
As in, right before kickoff.
“I’m singing the national anthem,” Gronkowski announced in a video posted by TMZ on Monday morning.
Why did UCLA keep Chip Kelly? Martin Jarmond has no good answer
Another mediocre UCLA football season sadly devoid of surprises finally produced one.
They didn’t fire Coach Chip Kelly.
What? Wait! Why not?
What on earth is athletic director Martin Jarmond’s definition of UCLA football success?
“We want to compete at the highest level and graduate student-athletes at the highest level, recruit and develop young people that are great representatives of UCLA. That’s the goal,” Jarmond said. “If you look at our football program, we have great young men in our program. Chip has created a strong and phenomenal culture; it shows when we have so many guys that return and want to go for their masters degrees … the culture is very strong and the young men that come out of UCLA, out of this program, are great representatives. That’s important.”
Laiatu Latu will skip L.A. Bowl as UCLA plugs holes on coaching staff during prep
He spent the last week in banquet halls collecting trophies, reluctantly making speeches and rubbing elbows with the game’s greats. Now UCLA’s star defensive end Laiatu Latu will step away from the spotlight.
The senior, who won the Lombardi Award as the nation’s most outstanding lineman and the Hendricks Award as the top defensive end, will not play in the L.A. Bowl, UCLA coach Chip Kelly said Monday. Instead the Pac-12 defensive player of the year will focus on finishing school and preparing for the NFL draft, where he is projected as a top pick.
The first-team All-American’s absence adds yet another hole to the ship the Bruins are trying to keep afloat heading into the offseason.
Reality setting in for UCLA seniors looking to leave ‘with a bang’ in L.A. Bowl
Between reps on the practice field, Kenny Churchwell III tried to soak it all in. The safety glanced at the Wasserman Football Center, his unofficial home since 2018, gleaming on a sunny Southern California morning. He started to check off the milestones in his head.
His last Tuesday practice. His last team meetings. Finally on Saturday, his last college game.
While bowl games often live in the awkward space between season finale and way-too-early preview of what’s to come, UCLA is viewing Saturday’s L.A. Bowl at 4:30 p.m. at SoFi Stadium against Mountain West champion Boise State solely as a full-stop punctuation mark for this run-on season. The Bruins hope to make it an exclamation point.
“As seniors,” Churchwell said, “we gotta leave out with a bang.”