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LOS ANGELES, Calif. — All season UCLA’s quarterbacks have been beneath heavy stress and changes have been few and much between.
Bruins redshirt junior Ethan Garbers lastly had an answer early within the third quarter Saturday and, within the course of, solved the purple zone points which have plagued the offense.
Garbers chucked a wild, 7-yard go to operating again T.J. Harden to push UCLA’s result in 21-10. Sixteen seconds later, the Bruins protection that has accomplished the heavy lifting for a lot of the season supplied a good greater cushion.
USC operating again Marshawn Lloyd’s spectacular sequence of jukes was stopped on the Trojans’ 11-yard line for a compelled fumble by UCLA cornerback Jaylin Davies and security Alex Johnson tracked the unfastened ball down for an 11-yard scoop and rating.
It was all a part of a 17-3 third quarter that turned the tide in UCLA’s 38-20 win over rival USC to take again the Victory Bell in entrance of 72,243 followers at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
“Yeah I imply, immediately was in all probability one of many higher days of my life, for positive,” Garbers mentioned after finishing 18 of 31 passes for 155 yards and three touchdowns with out an interception. “Had some desires about this as a bit of child. Simply nice to see, nice to get the W, and nice to go house.”
For as soon as, the Bruins put all of it collectively — even with some assist from particular groups — to cease and two-game slide coming into the sport and go away with their second consecutive highway win within the crosstown rivalry.
UCLA (7-4, 4-4 Pac-12), which got here into the competition with questions surrounding the way forward for head coach Chip Kelly, made positive these rumors wouldn’t be the lead subject of dialog for no less than sooner or later.
Kelly mentioned UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond ensured him {that a} report earlier within the week that he would “very possible” be fired was each “inaccurate” and “inappropriate.”
“Not a problem for me,” Kelly mentioned. “I’ve by no means been ruled by the worry of what different folks say. And the teachings that this sport has taught me — and I really like this sport — is that there’s gonna be highs and there’s gonna be lows, and also you gotta lean into the lows and also you gotta embrace ‘em and then you definitely simply gotta go to work. However the remainder of the stuff is simply, that’s by no means bothered me.”
Harden and Habermehl had two touchdowns apiece, with the previous ending with 142 yards dashing to paved the way for an offense that additionally solved its points with gradual begins.
The Bruins punctuated the rout with 9:06 left within the sport on a 15-yard catch-and-run for a landing by tight finish Hudson Habermehl, diving on the finish of the play for his second rating of the competition.
USC (7-5, 5-4 Pac-12) completed its common season with a 3rd consecutive loss after permitting 354 yards of complete offense and turning the ball over thrice and two others by way of downs.
Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams, who torched the Bruins for a career-high 470 yards and two touchdowns by means of the air final season, accomplished 31 of 42 passes for 384 yards and a landing with an interception.
Williams was sacked for 4 instances, with half coming from UCLA star edge rusher Laiatu Latu.
Latu had a game-high seven tackles and his sack complete for the season is now at 13 — two shy of matching his season objective set earlier than the season.
Media periods
Scoring abstract
First quarter
9:15, UCLA: RB T.J. Harden 1-yard TD run (PAT GOOD, Blake Glessner), 7-0 UCLA
2:46, UCLA: QB Ethan Garbers to TE Hudson Habermehl, 14-yard TD go (PAT GOOD, Blake Glessner), 14-0 UCLA
Second quarter
14:01, USC: QB Caleb Williams to WR Brenden Rice, 74-yard TD go (PAT GOOD, Denis Lynch), 14-7 UCLA
0:05, USC: PK Denis Lynch 34-yard subject objective, 14-10 UCLA
Third quarter
9:45, UCLA: QB Ethan Garbers to RB T.J. Harden, 7-yard TD go (PAT GOOD, Blake Glessner), 21-10 UCLA
9:29, UCLA: Security Alex Johnson 11-yard fumble restoration TD (PAT GOOD, Blake Glessner), 28-10 UCLA
3:51, USC: PK Denis Lynch 34-yard subject objective, 28-13 UCLA
1:21, UCLA: PK Blake Glessner 35-yard subject objective, 31-13 UCLA
Fourth quarter
9:06, UCLA: QB Ethan Garbers to TE Hudson Habermehl, 15-yard TD go (PAT GOOD, Blake Glessner), 38-13 UCLA
3:52, USC: RB Austin Jones 7-yard TD run (PAT GOOD, Denis Lynch), 38-20 UCLA
UCLA’s fast begin
The Bruins’ gradual begins have been one other a type of persevering with points for a lot of the season. There have been no such issues on this present day.
UCLA executed properly on each side of the ball after the protection gave up an opening-play first down. The Trojans did not decide up one other first down till the ultimate moments of the opening quarter.
UCLA’s protection compelled a turnover on downs, a punt and picked up a fumble restoration and interception towards Williams by means of the primary quarter-hour.
The Bruins’ offense exceeded final week’s level complete (7) in lower than 13 minutes.
First, Harden left the offense’s short-yardage woes final week behind on a 1-yard landing run. Then, three performs after the protection compelled a fumble inside USC’s personal 20-yard line, Garbers related with Habermehl on a 14-yard landing to push the result in 14-0 on the 2:46 mark.
The Bruins’ protection took an enormous blow early within the second quarter as sort out Jay Toia went down holding his proper knee and left the sport. He didn’t return.
On the subsequent play, Williams obtained the Trojans out of their funk with a 74-yard landing go to receiver Brenden Rice, who was remoted 1-on-1 towards Bruins cornerback Jaylin Davies, to chop the deficit to 14-7 with 14:01 left within the half.
The offenses then stalled the remainder of the half, with UCLA placekicker Blake Glessner and USC counterpart Denis Lynch each lacking subject targets.
USC turned the ultimate possession of the half into factors after beginning by itself 32 with 51 seconds left. A key 33-yard go from Williams to Lloyd to place ball on UCLA 21 with 22 seconds remaining.
The Trojans obtained all the best way right down to the UCLA 11 earlier than Bruins edge rusher Gabriel Murphy got here in for a sack and lack of 6 yards with 5 seconds remaining. USC settled for a 34-yard Lynch subject objective to drag inside 14-10 on the break.
Bruins standout on offense: QB Ethan Garbers and RB T.J. Harden
After struggling in three specific short-yardage conditions final week, it was Harden who shouldered the load this week and got here by means of.
Harden’s dashing efficiency was highlighted by a 58-yard scamper to maintain the momentum going whereas main 28-13 late within the third. It was a part of a scoring drive capped by a Glessner subject objective to increase the benefit to 18.
Garbers performed inside himself and completed off the drives UCLA struggled with in his absence final week.
Garbers additionally made his solely two throws of the afternoon to Habermehl rely, discovering him for 29 yards and two touchdowns. The connection helped open up the offense whereas receiver Logan Loya paced the receivers with 9 catches on 13 targets.
Bruins standout on protection: Edge rusher Laiatu Latu
Latu let the nation know that Williams wasn’t the one star participant to observe.
Main 28-10, the switch from Washington erased USC’s hopes of constructing the sport extra attention-grabbing with Williams main a drive that went all the best way right down to the UCLA 5.
Latu sacked Williams on again to again performs and the Trojans needed to accept a Lynch subject objective.
As a unit, the Bruins got here out essentially sound and shortly made all of final season’s points containing Williams a factor of the previous.
UCLA play of the sport
The Bruins’ capability to construct on their halftime lead instantly after which create a turnover for a landing gave them a cushion that was by no means at risk.
Why UCLA received
The Bruins lastly put collectively a whole efficiency after failing to take action for a lot of the earlier seven Pac-12 contests.
As an alternative of taking part in from behind, UCLA jumped out to a 14-0 lead by means of one quarter and did not let a second-quarter lull derail the efficiency.
Defensively, the Bruins added to the onslaught with their typical aggressive go rush and even helped out the offense on Johnson’s momentum-changing scoop and rating early within the third.
Notable UCLA stats
Passing
Ethan Garbers: 18 of 31 for 155 yards, 3 TDs
Speeding
T.J. Harden: 22 carries for 142 yards, TD
Carson Steele: 12 carries for 49 yards
Receiving
Logan Loya: 9 catches for 60 yards
Hudson Habermehl: 2 catches for 29 yards, 2 TDs
T.J. Harden: 2 catches for 16 yards, TD
Protection
Laiatu Latu: 7 tackles, 2 sacks
Kenny Churchwell III: 6 tackles, compelled fumble
Gabriel Murphy: 4 tackles, 1 sack
Jaylin Davies: 4 tackles, compelled fumble
Alex Johnson: 2 tackles, fumble restoration, TD
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