No matter what happens over his final few college games, Ethan Garbers always can remember this glorious afternoon.
He’ll always have Piscataway.
Widely dismissed after a forgettable first half of the season in which he was beaten and battered, the UCLA quarterback on Saturday afternoon provided one reminder after another of why his coach stuck with him through his struggles.
Garbers went into the birthplace of college football and spawned a midseason revival. Dazzling with his legs as well as an arm that was stronger than ever, Garbers carried the Bruins to a 35-32 victory over Rutgers at SHI Stadium that momentarily changed the narrative of their season.
Despite UCLA football starting 1-5 with one of the worst offenses in the nation, athletic director Martin Jarmond is pleading for fans to be patient.
That five-game losing streak? Over.
A first Big Ten victory? Theirs.
Career highs for Garbers? All over the place.
“It felt great, I’m not gonna lie,” Garbers said after completing 32 of 38 passes (84%) for career highs in yards (383) and touchdowns (four) to go with a career-best 49-yard touchdown run that revealed his sneaky athleticism for the sold-out crowd of 53,726.
After Rutgers rolled off nine consecutive points in the third quarter to pull within 21-19, Garbers offered a rebuttal two plays later, when the fifth-year senior connected with running back Keegan Jones coming out of the backfield uncovered for a 67-yard touchdown that was the longest completion of Garbers’ career.
“I was surprised,” Jones said of Rutgers virtually ignoring him on the play, something it routinely did with UCLA’s running backs in passing situations. “I was like, ‘Eth! Eth! Eth!’ As soon as he looked at me I was like, ‘Yup, here we go, got it … now I gotta take this thing to the crib.’ ”
Later, on third and one, Garbers surged and spun his way for six yards before emphatically thrusting his arm forward to denote the first down. The exclamation point came on another third down early in the fourth quarter when Garbers found running back Jalen Berger for a nine-yard touchdown pass.
Most of the highlights were Garbers’ on a day that he helped his team more than double its previous high for points while finishing without an interception for the first time this season.
“Just proud of the guy,” UCLA coach DeShaun Foster said. “You know, the team really rallies behind him and he’s a true team player and a real captain and a leader on this offense.”
Garbers and his teammates celebrated by sprinting over to a corner of the stadium where UCLA fans were seated, players pointing to acknowledge those who made the long trip before returning to a jubilant locker room to spray each other with water and sing the fight song.
The Bruins (2-5, 1-4) rolled up 478 yards of offense after having success on the ground against the Scarlet Knights (4-3, 1-3), nearly reaching triple digits in that category for the first time before three consecutive victory-formation plays left them with 95 yards.
“That’s just a little bit of what we got,” Jones said of an offense that players repeatedly labeled “explosive” before the season. “We for sure got a lot more in the bag.”
Jones (five catches for 114 yards) and tight end Moliki Matavao (six for 104) gave the Bruins two receivers topping 100 yards in the same game for the first time since they did it against Fresno State in 2021.
UCLA’s only significant blemish was a secondary that repeatedly was beaten for big plays and penalized, not to mention Garbers losing a fumble with 3½ minutes to go. Rutgers eventually scored on running back Kyle Monangai‘s one-yard run with 1:23 left to make it 35-32, but UCLA’s Grant Gray recovered the onside kick and would have returned it for a touchdown had teammate Logan Loya not signaled for a fair catch.
Garbers helped UCLA top its season scoring high before halftime, the Bruins finally breaking the 17-point barrier when he connected with running back T.J. Harden on a 22-yard touchdown pass with 22 seconds left in the half. UCLA held a 21-10 lead and some Rutgers fans booed their team on its way into the locker room.
The Bruins made themselves at home practically from the moment the Rutgers band played their fight song as a courtesy before the game.
With his offensive line holding up on nearly every play, Garbers dismantled the Scarlet Knights’ defense with a variety of screen and swing passes that rarely left the Bruins facing third and long. His five-yard touchdown pass to Loya completed a successful opening drive, and Garbers more than made up for his few mistakes.
UCLA defensive lineman Jay Toia probably could play at any of the nation’s top-ranked programs, but he has his reasons for staying on the Bruins.
After fumbling a handoff to Berger before pouncing on the ball for a three-yard loss, Garbers helped his team convert a gutsy call. With UCLA facing fourth and one on its own 18-yard line midway through the second quarter, Garbers rewarded Foster’s decision to go for it by running for two yards and a first down.
Garbers’ top play came later on the same drive when he juked a defender near the line of scrimmage, cut outside and skirted the sideline for a 49-yard touchdown.
“It couldn’t be more perfect,” Garbers said. “I didn’t get touched till I got in the end zone. All the credit to those guys blocking downfield.”
Foster called his team’s first victory in nearly two months a satisfying step toward bowl eligibility, which would require the Bruins to win four of their final five games. They might just have a chance if Garbers keeps playing like this.
“Nothing is better than ultimately getting that ‘W’ — that’s the best feeling in the world,” Garbers said. “All the stats, all that stuff doesn’t really matter. It’s just seeing my guys smile and knowing that on this five-hour flight, we’re gonna have a good time.”
Go beyond the scoreboard
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