STANFORD — Looking to steady an offense that has been up-and-down this season, UCLA made a rather surprise change at quarterback for Saturday’s game at Stanford, with Ethan Garbers taking back the starting reins. The result: A complete performance on both ends of the ball in a 42-7 rout, and a breakout game for running back Carson Steele.
Steele scored three touchdowns in the first half as the Bruins jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead. The Ball State transfer has received the bulk of the carries over the last three weeks over TJ Harden, as UCLA (5-2, 2-2 Pac-12) looks to replace the production lost with Zach Charbonnet departing for the NFL.
Steele’s three touchdowns seemed identical, with rushes of two, eight and three yards, finding creases through the Cardinal goal-line defense.
A more pressing issue, though, for UCLA to get back into Pac-12 title contention, is replacing another stalwart departed for the NFL: Dorian Thompson-Robinson – the quarterback who deftly guided Chip Kelly’s offense for the past five seasons. Garbers, the backup for the last two years, started the first game but Kelly went with the true freshman Dante Moore for the next five — three of them against Top 25 opponents.
Moore, a five-star recruit, showed flashes of potential but also struggled with turnovers. His three picks proved costly last week against Oregon State, and Kelly turned to the veteran Garbers against a defense for Stanford (2-5, 1-4 Pac-12) that has been among the worst in the conference.
Garbers took advantage, leading a free-flowing offense down the field with ease. He began the game completing his first eight pass attempts, and scrambling for two first downs on his first drive. Before Stanford recorded a first down, UCLA was up a pair of touchdowns. Garbers finished 20 for 28 with 240 yards passing and two touchdowns and also ran for 51 yards.
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Garbers’ efficient night included a 15-play, 97-yard drive that was capped off by a Steele touchdown. He also threw touchdown passes to J. Michael Sturdivant and Moliki Matavao to open up a 35-0 lead for UCLA in the third quarter.
With the game out of reach in the fourth quarter, Moore, Chase Griffin and Justyn Martin each saw playing time.
In perhaps the final time UCLA will visit Stanford Stadium, the Bruins out-rushed Stanford 221-24. The UCLA defense rebounded from allowing a season-high 36 points at Oregon State, keeping Stanford off the scoreboard until late in the third quarter. UCLA has held six of seven opponents this season to under 20 points.
More to come on this story