Ethan Garbers completed 32 of 38 passes for a career-high 383 yards and four touchdowns as UCLA ended a five-game losing streak Saturday with a 35-32 Big Ten victory over Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J.
Garbers tossed TD passes to wide receiver Logan Loya (5 yards), running back T.J. Harden (22 yards) running back Keegan Jones (67 yards) and running back Jalen Berger (9 yards). Garbers also scored on a 49-yard run.
Rutgers received three rushing touchdowns from running back Kyle Monangai, who gained 106 yards on 19 carries. Monangai’s third TD, a 1-yard run, helped Rutgers pull within three points with 1:45 to play, but UCLA recovered the onside kick.
It was 7-7 after one quarter, but the Bruins led 21-10 at halftime and 28-19 through three quarters. It’s the first time UCLA (2-5, 1-4 Big Ten) has scored more than 17 points in a game this season. The Bruins entered the game averaging 14.5 points per contest.
UCLA struck first on Loya’s 5-yard TD catch with 9:03 remaining in the first quarter. Rutgers (4-3, 1-3) answered when quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis snuck into the end zone from a yard away with 4:43 left in the first.
Garbers’ 49-yard TD run broke a 7-7 tie with 2:43 left in the second quarter.
Jai Patel’s 49-yard field goal sliced UCLA’s lead to 14-10 with 1:12 remaining in the second, but Garbers’ 22-yard TD pass to Harden came with 22 seconds left in the half to help stretch UCLA’s lead to 21-10.
Rutgers cut its deficit to 21-16 on Monangai’s 6-yard run with 12:45 left in the third and made it a 21-19 contest on Patel’s 35-yard field goal with 5:41 remaining in the third.
UCLA extended its lead to 28-19 when Jones scored on a 67-yard catch and run with 4:53 to play in the third, and took a 35-19 lead on Berger’s TD catch plus Mateen Bhaghani’s fifth PAT with 12:13 left in the fourth.
Monangai’s second TD came on a 5-yard run with 10:35 to play. UCLA’s lead was 35-25 after Rutgers failed to convert on the two-point-conversion attempt.
Rutgers was without starting defensive ends Wesley Bailey and Aaron Lewis because of injuries.
