The Most Shocking Part of UCLA's Win Over Iowa

The UCLA Bruins defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday night, and this aspect of the win was particularly surprising.

Dec 16, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins running back TJ Harden (25) reacts after scoring a touchdown against Boise State Broncos during the third quarter of the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins have suddenly got on a bit of a roll, collecting their third-straight victory with an upset win over the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday night.

It wasn't pretty, but UCLA got the job done, rallying from an early 10-0 deficit to come away with a 20-17 triumph.

So, just how were the Bruins able to defeat Iowa? Unfortunately, it wasn't due to a third consecutive impressive performance from quarterback Ethan Garbers, who actually took a massive step backward with three turnovers in the affair.

What did happen, though, was that running back TJ Harden broke out with 125 yards on 20 carries in what represented, quite easily, his best outing of the season. Heck, it was one of the best showings of his collegiate career, period.

Actually, a legitimate argument can be made that this was the most impressive game Harden has ever had given the circumstances.

Iowa is known for its stingy run defense. Yes, the Hawkeyes have displayed some slippage in that area as 2024 has progressed, but the combination of Yahya Black and Aaron Graves up the middle is never an easy code for opponents to crack.

And yet, Harden — who entered the matchup averaging just 3.1 yards per carry — ripped off a robust 6.3 yards per tote on Friday evening. It marked the first time Harden logged six yards per attempt since Nov. 18, 2023. It also constituted the first time he posted over five yards per carry in all of 2024.

It was reaching a point where Harden was becoming more renowned for his ability as a receiver out of the backfield rather than his prowess on the ground, but the script was definitely flipped against Iowa.

Does that entail that Harden will be exploding for big yardage the rest of the way for UCLA? Not necessarily, but it could serve as a huge confidence booster for an embattled halfback who couldn't seem to find the light of day in the weeks leading up to the Iowa clash.

Perhaps the Bruins finally found a way to unlock Harden.

We'll see if it continues against Washington next Friday.

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