LOS ANGELES — When UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers needs a little motivation, he’ll sometimes look to social media comments.
“You’ve kind of gotta take it with a grain of salt,” Garbers told reporters, “because a lot of these people, they have no idea what you’ve been through or what it’s like to be out there.”
Few people in general could relate to the season UCLA football has experienced under a new coaching staff in a new conference and with just two wins despite incremental improvements.
UCLA (2-5, 1-4 Big Ten) has continuously put its trust in the redshirt senior to lead the Bruins and uphold the team pillars of discipline, respect and enthusiasm – something he’s taken seriously through his final year of eligibility.
“After the last game, I was like, ‘Dang, only five more left.’ It’s kind of sad,” Garbers said. “The goal is to win every single game and make a bowl game. That’s been the goal since the beginning, to win every game.”
The offense seemed to finally click in the Bruins’ 35-32 win over Rutgers when Garbers completed 32 of 38 passes for 383 yards and four touchdowns for their first Big Ten victory. He even took off for a 49-yard touchdown rush despite dealing with a lingering ankle injury.
The coaching staff entrusted him with a quarterback sneak on a fourth-and-1 in the second quarter after shying away from fourth-down attempts in previous games.
“All the coaches were preaching, ‘Hey, if it’s third-and-long or fourth and we get fourth-and-one, we might go for it, doesn’t matter where we are,’” Garbers said “And that just fires us all up and it’s great to stay on the field. Any time we get short yardage, we’re definitely looking to capitalize on it.”
Garbers was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts and was given an 89.6 grade by Pro Football Focus – the second-highest grade of the week for anyone at the quarterback position.
Getting the ball out quicker has been a focus of the offense recently, which has helped lead to more pressure on opposing defenses and more yardage.
“Quickness just comes with the comfortability of the offense and then also just trust and then reps with all the other guys,” Garbers said. “I feel very comfortable in the offense. Now it’s just me just trusting what I see and going out there and just making the plays.”
Garbers confirmed during media availability Thursday that he has been dealing with an ankle injury this season. Imprints from the layers of tape that heavily wrapped his ankle and foot were visible when he spoke with reporters.
He’s had to dedicate more time to pre-practice treatment and post-practice recovery as well as mobility exercises, but said the pain he’s dealt with this season is “really nothing, honestly.”
While his daily schedule may have changed, the team’s energy is inexhaustible. Team warmups before practice remain loud and fun, with riled-up players feeding off the nonstop jumping and body checks.
“I think everyone’s just feeling more comfortable, feeling better about the things that we’re doing,” Garbers said. “Everyone’s coming out here with a great attitude every day.”
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