This post was updated Sept 2. at 11:13 p.m.

UCLA football (1-0) managed a narrow 16-13 victory over Hawaiʻi (1-1) in its season opener Saturday evening in Honolulu. Assistant Sports editor Kai Dizon gives five main takeaways from the Bruins’ duel with the Rainbow Warriors.

Ethan Garbers’ excessive gambles

It was a tale of two halves for the Bruins all across the field, but nowhere more evident than under center.

Put simply, UCLA football’s redshirt senior quarterback Ethan Garbers looked terrible against Mountain West competition in the first half.

The team’s undisputed starting signal-caller threw 6-for-19 for 69 passing yards and two costly interceptions.

Garbers’ first interception came with 3:27 remaining in the first quarter – where he committed the cardinal quarterbacking sin of throwing late, across his body, over the middle of the field and into the endzone. The pass was picked off by Hawaiʻi linebacker Jalen Smith, and the Bruins’ drive – that would’ve almost certainly yielded at least a field goal – ended with a goose egg.

With just seconds remaining in the first half – one UCLA would rather forget – Garbers threw his second interception. After the Bruin defense made a pick off a Rainbow Warrior tipped pass, UCLA’s field general gave it right back.

When Garbers was wrapped up in his own endzone, he threw over the middle – trying to avoid a 2-point safety. But he inadvertently passed into the waiting arms of Hawaiʻi linebacker Logan Taylor, setting up a chip shot for kicker Kansei Matsuzawa.

Fortunately for the Bruins though, the reigning LA Bowl Offensive MVP emerged in the second half.

Garbers went 13-for-19 the rest of the way, accumulating 203 yards in the air and 36 on the ground while passing for a touchdown and leading the Bruins to a 16-3 run to ensure victory.

Rico Flores Jr. flashes reliability

Although it was redshirt junior Titus Mokiao-Atimalala‘s homecoming, no one in the receiving room looked quite as comfortable as sophomore wide receiver Rico Flores Jr.

His first reception as a Bruin conveniently secured UCLA’s first points of the season. Garbers lofted a pass towards Flores on a fade and the sophomore made a tumbling, contested catch in the endzone for a touchdown.

Garbers found Flores again, later in the third. Flores was tossed a 10-yard pass and ran upfield to take it another 43 – placing the Bruins at the Rainbow Warriors’s eight-yard line – later resulting in a UCLA field goal that chipped away at Hawaiʻi’s lead.

Flores finished Saturday with 102 yards – tying his career-best – and lapped senior tight end Moliki Matavao, who finished with the second-most yards at 42.

Running nowhere

A staple of the Bruins’ offense has been the running game. In 2023, under then-running backs coach DeShaun Foster, UCLA rushed for the most yards in the Pac-12 and 17th most in the nation.

But with Foster now at the helm – and another former NFL running back in Eric Bieniemy as associate head coach and offensive coordinator – the Bruins ironically found little success running the ball.

Garbers managed the team’s leading numbers on the ground – running 47 yards in seven rushes – while the team’s three true running backs totaled a measly 24 yards on 13 carries.

The most bizarre of the bunch was T.J. Harden. The junior totaled 827 yards – ranking seventh in the Pac-12 – and averaged 5.3 yards per carry in 2023, but was limited to one yard per carry Saturday.

Given the pedestrian numbers of redshirt senior Keegan Jones and redshirt junior Anthony Frias II as well, it may prove more accurate to point the finger at the offensive line.

The injury to redshirt junior right tackle Garrett DiGiorgio before the game – and the injury to redshirt senior left tackle Reuben Unije during it – meant UCLA finished Saturday with just three of its intended starters up front. Redshirt sophomore Niki Prongos and redshirt senior Jaylan Jeffers came in at left and right tackle, respectively, but neither have any collegiate starting experience on their resume.

Admittedly, the Bruins’ line wasn’t at full strength, but Hawaiʻi’s running backs rushed for 40 more yards than UCLA’s – and the Bruins weren’t the ones operating a run-and-shoot offense.

Secondary steals some spotlight

It seemed Garbers and Hawaiʻi quarterback Brayden Schager traded scripts at the half.

Across the first two quarters, Schager threw 18-for-26 accumulating 140 yards through the air with one interception. But over the final two, Schager’s numbers fell to 7-for-16 for 87 yards and another interception.

And Schager seemed to reach his nadir when he was sacked by redshirt junior defensive lineman Keanu Williams with 5:17 left in the first half, as the quarterback was slow to get up and required extensive taping to his right ankle.

From there, the Bruins’ secondary went to work, taking advantage of Schager’s weakened mobility and accuracy.

Redshirt senior defensive back Ramon Henderson recorded UCLA’s first interception towards the end of the second quarter and redshirt junior defensive back D.J. Justice followed suit with an interception towards the end of the third.

Redshirt senior defensive back K.J. Wallace recorded one of UCLA’s five sacks on Schager and redshirt senior defensive back Bryan Addison recovered a fumble to end the game.

The Bruin secondary helped limit Schager to a game-long pass of 23 yards – his only 20-plus yard pass through the affair.

Special teams starts slow

The Bruins’ special teams unit started the day by falling victim to a 19-yard fake punt on fourth-and-six during the Rainbow Warriors’ first drive, setting up an eventual Hawaiʻi touchdown.

The follow-up performance wasn’t much better when Foster used a first-half timeout to bring out the field goal unit for a 52-yard attempt.

Redshirt senior Blake Glessner’s effort was impressive for someone whose career long is 35 yards, but the ball veered wide right and UCLA was kept off the board.

Then came the debut of sophomore kicker Mateen Bhaghani.

The California transfer went 8-for-9 on field goals for the Golden Bears in 2023 and displayed his kicking prowess against the Rainbow Warriors, kicking a perfect 3-for-3 Saturday.

Bhaghani’s second of the day tied the game from 37 yards and his third gave the Bruins the game-winning lead from 32 with 0:56 on the clock.

Given the Bruins’ daunting 2024 schedule, it’ll take the second-half version of UCLA –and then some – to avoid the Big Ten cellar and embarrassment on national TV.