This post was updated Sept. 26 at 12:45 a.m.

UCLA football (1-2, 0-1 Big Ten) fell 34-17 to LSU (3-1, 1-0 SEC) in its second nonconference contest Saturday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Contributor Noah Massey gives his five main takeaways from the Bruins’ contest against the Tigers.

Struggles in the defensive trenches

When UCLA football lost Laiatu Latu and both Gabriel and Grayson Murphy to the NFL after the three combined for 26 sacks last season, it was established that the team’s pass rush would be less potent in 2024.

But even with an anticipated drop off, the pass rush wasn’t anticipated to fall from one of the Bruins’ greatest strengths to one of their most visible weaknesses.

In its last two contests, UCLA failed to sack the opposing quarterback once, allowing ample time for opposing signal-callers to find open receivers and limit mistakes. Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier boasted 76% and 73% completion rates against UCLA, respectively, while combining for 659 passing yards and seven touchdowns to zero turnovers.

While LSU boasts one of the best offensive lines in the nation, featuring two highly touted NFL draft prospects in Will Campbell and Emery Jones Jr., the utter lack of pressure left UCLA’s secondary out to dry for Nussmeier’s 44 passing attempts Saturday.

Defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe said prior to the season that he wanted to maintain former defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s systems, but with a questionable pass rush leaving the secondary exposed, it might be time for further scheme changes to reset a defense currently ranked 103rd in the nation in points per game.

Where was the offensive line?

Nearly every time Ethan Garbers dropped back to pass, LSU’s defensive line was upon him immediately.

In his first 13 dropbacks, the redshirt senior quarterback was pressured eight times by LSU’s relentless front – one that would end up sacking him five times. While Garbers managed to navigate the pass rush in the first half, the Tigers’ constant pressure helped them shut out the Bruins in the second half and force Garbers to concede errors.

UCLA also struggled to establish its run game as junior running back T.J. Harden was limited to 15 yards on seven carries, while its entire offense managed just 14 rushing yards because of Garbers’ sacks.

Harden, who averaged 5.3 yards per rush last season, has dropped to just 2.6 yards per carry – a reduction that can be partially attributed to his team’s inability to open running lanes. UCLA has fallen to 131st in the nation in rushing yards per game, a far cry from last season’s prominent rushing attack.

While LSU has an excellent defensive line shaped by defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s aggressive approach, questions about UCLA’s offensive line could become even more prevalent over the next couple of weeks against formidable Big Ten defensive units in Oregon and Penn State.

Reliance on Garbers

While the Bruin running game struggled to get going and the offensive line often allowed pressure on him, Garbers showed poise that kept the Bruins afloat throughout the first half.

After LSU marched down the field on its first drive in the opening quarter, Garbers immediately responded by going 5-for-6 for 73 yards and a touchdown, UCLA’s first time scoring in the opening period this season.

The redshirt senior, who ultimately went 22-for-36 on the day with 281 yards, two touchdowns and two turnovers, was instrumental in both of the Bruins’ touchdown drives.

Ultimately, the LSU defense overwhelmed UCLA’s offense and its complete reliance upon Garbers. In the second half, he began to yield more errors, including a strip sack that lost 19 yards and took the Bruins out of field goal range as well as an interception that helped seal the game for the Tigers.

Though Garbers posted season-high figures and appeared ever-promising in the first half, he cannot be tasked to play hero ball each game this season.

Defensive third down struggles

Last season, Georgia had the nation’s best third-down conversion rate, converting 55% of the time.

In the last two games, UCLA has allowed its opponents to convert 70% of the time, including 10-for-15 against LSU, many of which kept crucial drives alive.

To begin the third quarter, the Tigers put together a 96-yard touchdown drive that scored the deciding points of the game – a drive that featured three separate third-down conversions.

If UCLA’s defense can’t figure out how to prevent third downs, it’ll likely allow both Oregon and Penn State to score 30-plus in its next two matchups, just as LSU and Indiana did.

A promising first half

While Saturday’s game was ultimately not a tight contest – LSU scored twice as many points as UCLA – the first half was a sign of change, and perhaps progress, for a Bruin squad that looked utterly helpless against Indiana.

The Bruins went down 21-0 against the Hoosiers midway through the second quarter at home, en route to a 42-13 stomping – effectively fracturing their hopes before halftime.

Against LSU, UCLA was tied at halftime, scoring more points in a half than in either of its first two contests. Garbers spread out the ball to a variety of targets and led the Bruins on two 75-yard touchdown drives, doubling the number of touchdowns his team had recorded on the season.

While the offense was ultimately blanked in the second half, keeping things competitive for a half against a now-14th-ranked LSU team – led by the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the nation, is a step in the right direction.