UCLA Football: Running Back Reacts To Playing With 2 QBs In Game 1

The Bruins took an unconventional approach to secure their first W of the season.

Your UCLA Bruins won their opening game of the 2023 football season in resounding fashion, with a 27-13 victory on Saturday at the Rose Bowl. They did it with sixth-year head coach Chip Kelly splitting play caller duties between two quarterbacks: junior starter Ethan Garbers, a redshirt junior, and 18-year-old freshman Dante Moore, a five-star recruit out of Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School in Detroit.

Though he did not start, Moore enjoyed the better game, passing for 143 yards and two touchdowns.

But both quarterbacks' UCLA teammates are taking a measured approach in discussing their contributions.

6'4" sophomore Bruins running back Carsen Ryan spoke at length about his collaboration with both players, per Mike Regalado of Bruin Report Online/247Sports.

"For me, I just go out there and just run my route, do my job, run my block," Ryan explained. "I'm lucky enough to be in a position where I've got multiple great players throwing me the ball and, whoever's out there, they're both great players, so they'll be able to get it to me there, so [I've] just got to do my job."

When pressed further about Moore's relative lack of rust after sitting for a long period at one point, Ryan was effusive in his praise for the true freshman.

""I think it's very telling of his ability, he's a great player," Ryan raved. "For him to step up like that, it's good, we need that. I think it's nice that we got both him and Garbers both being able to play their position.