UCLA football (3-5, 2-4 Big Ten) trounced Nebraska (5-4, 2-3) 27-20 in its second Big Ten victory Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. Assistant Sports editor Connor Dullinger gives his five main takeaways from the affair.

Garbers is here

After six games into the 2024 season, few thought redshirt senior quarterback Ethan Garbers would be the Bruins’ answer under center.

But two weeks after his career day in Piscataway, New Jersey – where he threw for 383 passing yards and five total touchdowns on an 84.2% completion percentage – Garbers once again proved why he deserves to be UCLA’s signal caller.

Facing a then-No. 16-ranked overall defense and then-No. 12-ranked rushing defense, Garbers delivered when expectations were high and stakes were even higher.

The Newport Beach, California, local recorded 219 passing yards and two passing touchdowns, along with a team-leading 56 yards on the ground. Most importantly, Garbers did not record a single turnover against the Cornhuskers, something he struggled to do in the past – recording nine interceptions in the Bruins’ first five contests.

The key to Garbers’ recent offensive success is the distribution of his targets. Against the Scarlet Knights, Garbers spread the defense by hitting eight different receivers, ultimately leading to his best passing day as a UCLA quarterback.

The Bruins’ signal-caller replicated the same success in Lincoln – hitting eight different pass catchers, including a 48-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer that ultimately put the game out of reach.

New faces in the receiving room

UCLA’s top wideouts last year – redshirt senior Logan Loya and redshirt junior J.Michael Sturdivant – were poised to be Garbers’ top targets this year.

The pass-catching duo reeled in a combined 1,252 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns in 2023, and with another year of Garbers under center, it was expected that the trio would build on that success.

However, the duo’s combined total of 388 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns this year are far from UCLA fans’ expectations.

On the bright side, though, their lack of expected production opened the door for others to breakthrough.

And no two people are at the entryway of this forefront more than Gilmer and senior tight end Moliki Matavao.

Gilmer – a true freshman receiver – was not expected to make a considerable impact this season and was forecasted to be in the shadows of Sturdivant and Loya.

The Los Angeles local blew such expectations out of the water, recording 16 receptions, 213 receiving yards and one receiving score in his first eight collegiate games. Gilmer currently ranks fourth on the team in receptions and third in receiving yards.

Matavao, a transfer from Oregon, has unexpectedly filled the role left by former Bruin tight end Carsen Ryan, who departed Westwood in December to join Utah. The Henderson, Nevada, local has contributed a team-leading 303 receiving yards on 24 receptions this season.

Is this UCLA’s defense?

Nebraska’s true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola has taken the college football world by storm for his uncanny similarities to the Kansas City Chiefs’ star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Raiola came into Saturday’s matchup having logged 1,744 passing yards and nine passing touchdowns this season – good enough for a 132.2 passer rating.

On Saturday, the Bruin defense silenced the former No. 8-ranked high school recruit, holding him to just 177 passing yards and one passing touchdown. Defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe’s units also held Raiola to a 51.9% completion percentage – his lowest clip of the season.

Entering the contest against Nebraska, the UCLA defense had struggled to contain dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks all season. Against Oregon, the UCLA defense allowed quarterback Dillion Gabriel to throw for 278 passing yards and three scores. Similarly, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier threw for 352 passing yards and three passing touchdowns, as the Bruins were outscored 68-30 across the two contests.

The Bruins’ ability to force turnovers was key to stifling Raiola’s production.

UCLA’s defense recorded four turnovers in its first six games – three of which came from its season opener against Hawai’i alone. However, against the Huskers, the defensive unit recorded two interceptions – including a 38-yard pick-six from redshirt senior linebacker Kain Medrano.

Winning the turnover battle may be what tips the bowl game seesaw in favor of the Bruins.

A revamped offensive line

Garbers’ lack of production in the season’s first six games can’t be entirely chalked up to him.

The signal-caller’s offensive line allowed at least three sacks in half of UCLA’s games this season – including five against LSU and four against Oregon – and conceded at least one in every other game this season.

Garbers’ lack of protection ultimately led to his subpar numbers at the beginning of the season – failing to record more than 300 passing yards or two passing touchdowns in a game until Rutgers.

However, since UCLA moved redshirt senior Josh Carlin to right guard, redshirt sophomore Sam Yoon to center and redshirt sophomore Niki Prongos to left tackle – a move made Oct. 5 – the front seven has allowed Garbers to blossom.

The Bruin offensive line allowed just two sacks against the Huskers – an impressive performance taking into account Nebraska ranking No. 17 nationally in team sacks prior to Saturday.

A battle in the trenches

For the first time all season, UCLA’s defensive line revealed shades of its 2023 unit.

Just a year ago, the Bruin defense – led by former defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn – ranked 14th nationally in total defense. In the seven games preceding Saturday’s affair, UCLA’s defensive unit recorded 10 sacks, with five coming against Hawai’i.

The Bruin defense even went on a three-game stretch against Indiana, LSU and Oregon when it failed to record a single sack.

Against the Huskers, though, UCLA’s defensive line proved it could create pressure and reach the opposing quarterback – garnering four sacks, seven tackles for loss and seven quarterback hits.

Redshirt junior linebacker Carson Schwesinger spearheaded the Bruins’ defensive masterclass, logging one sack and 13 total tackles. Meanwhile, senior defensive lineman Jay Toia and redshirt sophomore linebacker Jalen Woods each added a sack of their own, while redshirt junior defensive back Jaylin Davies and redshirt senior defensive lineman Cherif Seye split a sack between themselves.

On the other side of the ball, UCLA’s ground game finally showed a glimpse of its true colors, recording a season-best 139 rushing yards. Coming into Saturday’s affair, the Bruins averaged 64.6 rushing yards per game – a stark contrast from 2023, when the Bruins dominated the rushing attack.

Garbers and junior running back T.J. Harden led the Bruin rushers, combining for 102 of the team’s total 139 rushing yards. The former finished the game averaging 9.3 yards per carry, while the latter finished at a 4.2 clip.

When the Bruins can run the ball effectively, everything else opens up.