What was once a reliable source of yards and clock control has proved a yawning pitfall for the Bruins.

In UCLA football’s season opener against Hawaiʻi on Aug. 31, its most gaping shortcoming was its run game – rushing for just 71 yards on 20 attempts, averaging 3.6 yards per carry. The offensive line struggled to create space, and the running backs found it difficult to break free against Hawaiʻi’s defense​.

Redshirt senior quarterback Ethan Garbers led the charge with seven carries, averaging 6.7 yards per attempt, including a long run of 16 yards. The Bruins’ true rushers – the widely touted tandem of running backs redshirt senior Keegan Jones and junior T.J. Harden – struggled through the duel, amassing 4.3 and one yard per carry, respectively.

An overall lackluster run performance stood in stark contrast to a unit often defined by its ability to wear down defenses. The Bruins’ showing against the Rainbow Warriors marked a significant drop from last year’s figures, where they averaged 197 rushing yards per game to place them comfortably at the top of the Pac-12 and No. 17 nationally.

Following the win, UCLA has had a bye week to prepare for its next matchup – both a home opener and Big Ten debut – against Indiana.

“Anytime you can get more intel on somebody is good,” said coach DeShaun Foster. “Just being able to watch them play another football game was good for us.”

The extra time has allowed the Bruins to fine-tune game plans, particularly in areas like the rushing attack. Despite their backfield struggles in their opener, though, the Bruins remain optimistic about getting back on track.

“As a tight end, we’re asked to go run-block, so anything that we need to do this week to implement some new runs, we’ll make sure we get the runs done,” said senior tight end Moliki Matavao.

Despite acknowledging that the rushing schemes would need more attention, Matavao said Garbers’ understanding of the offense remains solid and will help rebuild the pieces of the run game that faltered against Hawaiʻi.

“I’ll go to Garbs (Garbers) right away. Garbs definitely hands-down knows the offense inside and out,” Matavao said. “He quizzes us as players, and that’s how you know he knows the offense so well – he can teach the offense to us on his own.”

Heading into its next game after a bye week, UCLA will need to step up against Indiana’s formidable defensive front.

Despite the Hoosiers being the lowest-performing Big Ten opponent on UCLA’s 2024 schedule, they have already proven defensive adeptness in a 77-3 win over Western Illinois, and its front seven will be tough to break.

Indiana’s linebacking core – led by Aiden Fisher and Jailin Walker – has been crucial to its success, with Fisher already tallying 21 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, respectively, in just two games​.

“It’s just an explosive team – they play hard, that’s their thing,” Foster said. “Tough guys. Not really a team that’s going to beat themselves.”

Indiana’s defense has proven capable of disrupting rushing lanes and applying pressure in the trenches – something UCLA will need to overcome to regain what was once its cornerstone of success.