PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Ethan Garbers delivered an outstanding performance on Saturday, establishing personal bests with four touchdown passes and 383 passing yards, along with a 49-yard touchdown run. His efforts propelled UCLA to its inaugural Big Ten Conference victory, overcoming Rutgers with a score of 35-32 and breaking a five-game losing streak.
Garbers completed an impressive 32 out of 38 attempts and threw scoring passes of 5 yards to Logan Loya, 22 yards to T.J. Harden, 67 yards to Keegan Jones, and 9 yards to Jalen Berger, who hails from New Jersey. UCLA (2-5, 1-4) managed to hand the Scarlet Knights (4-3, 1-3) their third consecutive defeat.
Prior to this game, UCLA was the only team in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) that had not scored at least 20 points in any match this season. This streak came to an end by halftime as UCLA took a 21-10 lead. Garbers made two touchdown passes and executed his longest run as the offensive strategy implemented by Eric Bieniemy began to show significant improvement under coach DeShaun Foster.
The Bruins achieved a season-high of 478 total yards, which was crucial as they were determined to end a streak of six losses that stretched back to late 2017 and early 2018.
Rutgers’ defensive rushing champion, Kyle Monangai, scored his third touchdown, bringing Rutgers within a striking distance of 35-32. However, Grant Gray successfully recovered an onside kick, allowing UCLA to manage the clock effectively. Although Gray returned the subsequent kick for an apparent touchdown, it was disallowed due to a teammate signaling for a fair catch.
The Scarlet Knights made an attempt to rally in the third quarter, narrowing the gap to 21-19 after scoring a touchdown and adding a field goal from Jai Patel. Shortly after, Garbers connected with Jones on a short swing pass, taking advantage of a blown coverage by Rutgers. Jones then sprinted down the sideline unchallenged for a touchdown, marking the Bruins’ longest touchdown pass of the season, while the game remained largely unfavorable for Rutgers until the final moments.
Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis showcased his best form in weeks by scoring on a 1-yard sneak and completing 18 of 30 passes for 287 yards. Patel also contributed with two field goals. Monangai rushed for 106 yards on 19 carries, scoring touchdowns from 6, 5, and 1 yard out.
Looking at the bigger picture, it was UCLA’s most impressive outing of the season, especially from an offensive standpoint, with Garbers completing 84% of his passes. Conversely, Rutgers finds itself in a precarious situation, as the defense—a supposed strength—has surrendered 77 points over the last two contests. The defensive struggles have been exacerbated by tackling issues and injuries to key players, especially defensive end Aaron Lewis.
Looking ahead, UCLA has a bye week and is set to face Nebraska on November 2. Meanwhile, Rutgers will be in action against Southern Cal this Friday night.