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UCLA Football: Ethan Garbers Scores 5 TDs, Records Career Performance in Win Over Rutgers

Have a day, Ethan Garbers!

Eva Geitheim

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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Two weeks ago, UCLA football quarterback Garbers missed the Bruins' loss to Penn State because of an injury. Backup quarterback Justyn Martin filled in for Garbers, and though the offense scored just three points until garbage time, some clamored for Martin to remain the quarterback due to the efficiency he showed during the game.

Despite what could have been viewed as pressure to make a quarterback change to Martin for the rest of the season, Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster remained stedfast that Garbers was their quarterback going forward.

It certainly wasn't pretty for Garbers to start the season — he threw four touchdown passes to nine interceptions as the offense failed to score 20 points in a game over his first five games of the year. Still, Foster has not wavered in his belief in Garbers, and would not entertain the thought of a quarterback change.

Foster's faith in Garbers paid off on Saturday, as Garbers put together the performance the Bruins were looking for from him all season. Garbers and the offense got off to a hot start, as the senior connected with Logan Loya on an early first-quarter touchdown pass.

The offense took off late in the second quarter when Garbers slipped past a Rutgers defender and rushed 49 yards to the end zone to give UCLA a 14-7 lead. The Bruins would score another touchdown before the half.

"I've always said that before, they call me ‘sneaky athletic.’ But, when I get out of the pocket, I'm just looking to get four or five yards," Garbers said after the game of his long touchdown run. "And in that case, I made one man miss, and then those guys – the receivers set up fantastic blocks. You know, it couldn't be more perfect. I didn't get touched until I got in the end zone."

Garbers threw two more touchdown passes in the second half as the Bruins totaled 35 points en route to a 35-32 win.

Even on a 67-yard touchdown pass in which running back Keegan Jones gained most of the yards after the catch, it was Garbers who noticed early on that the Rutgers defenders weren't covering their backs and wanted to exploit it. He exploited this, and nearly every aspect of the Scarlet Knights defense during the best game of his career. Garbers finished the game completing 32 of 38 passes — 84.2 percent — for a career-high 383 yards, four passing touchdowns, and five touchdowns total.

"It felt great, I'm not going to lie," Garbers said of his career day. "But nothing is better than ultimately getting that W, that's the best feeling in the world. All the stats, all that stuff, it doesn't really matter. It's just seeing my guys smile and knowing that on this five hour flight, we're going to have a good time."

"He threw for 383, so that was huge for him," Foster said. "He played a great game. I’m just proud of the guy. The team really rallied behind him. He’s a true team player and a real captain and a leader on this offense.”

For the first time this season, the Bruins saw their confidence quarterback lead the explosive offense they anticipated seeing before the year began. Will Garbers and the offense continue their momentum? They'll get to try next week when they take on Nebraska.

More Bruins:

UCLA Football: 3 Takeaways From Bruins' Shocking Victory Over Rutgers

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Eva Geitheim
EVA GEITHEIM

Eva graduated from UCLA in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in Communication. She has been covering college and professional sports since 2022.

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