DeShaun Foster notched his first coaching and road wins simultaneously, UCLA surviving the heat and a special teams meltdown to beat Hawaii.
His first winning streak came courtesy of back-to-back triumphs over Rutgers and Nebraska as part of a brutal travel schedule in which the Bruins will log an estimated 22,048 miles.
One first that would involve only a short bus ride has maddeningly eluded him. The Bruins have not won a game at the stadium their coach has called home for more than a quarter of a century, going 0-3 this season.
They will try again Friday night, the Bruins (3-5 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) facing Iowa (6-3, 4-2) at the Rose Bowl while wearing throwback uniforms in a game they hope has a historic feel. The last time these teams met was in the 1986 Rose Bowl, UCLA’s 45-28 victory marking its most recent triumph in the bowl game held on home turf.
“We do well on the road,” Foster said, “so I’m trying to figure out how we can do the same thing at the Rose Bowl.”
Here are five things to watch in a game set for a 6 p.m. PST kickoff that will be televised by Fox:
Changing the narrative
Funny what a few wins can do for a team and its coach.
In the span of several weeks, Foster has gone from panned to praised.
His team looked dominant at times in its last two games. An offense on pace to set records for futility is rolling behind strong play from its quarterback. And a once-defensive coach has turned playful with reporters, routinely kidding one about his attire.
Foster could take the biggest step toward a successful debut season with a victory over Iowa. That would bump the Bruins toward the middle of the Big Ten standings and sustain their bowl hopes while also encouraging donors to supply more of the name, image and likeness funds needed to secure a strong transfer portal class.
Unlike predecessor Chip Kelly, Foster said he believed that momentum could be carried from one game to another — to an extent.
“I think that winning is contagious,” Foster said. “You know, once you get a victory it can start going, guys understand what it takes to win. So, that’s back to earning a victory, you know?”
Strength vs. strength
UCLA has not faced a running back the caliber of Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson this season.
The midseason All-American ranks second nationally with 142.1 rushing yards per game and has tied a school single-season record with 20 touchdowns (19 rushing, one receiving). He’s scored at least one touchdown in every game and has scored three touchdowns in four games.
“This kid’s special,” Foster said. “The more carries he gets, the more he gets going, so you’ve just got to find a way to get him down and it’s more of swarming to the ball and not just one guy doing it.”
Fortunately for the Bruins, they’ve been among the best in the nation at stopping the run. Their rushing defense is giving up just 100.4 yards on the ground per game, ranking No. 11 in the country.
“What they do kind of plays into what we do well,” Foster said, “so we’re just going to see who comes out on top.”
Closing time
Foster said his top priority this week was finishing stronger. The Bruins once held a 35-19 lead against Rutgers and a 27-7 advantage against Nebraska before each of those opponents closed to within one score in the final minutes.
Penalties were a big part of those comebacks. UCLA’s defensive backs were called for three consecutive penalties late in the game against Rutgers. Three unsportsmanlike penalties against the Bruins contributed to Nebraska’s scoring drives.
“We put them back in the game,” Foster said.
They’re getting it
Kwazi Gilmer, UCLA’s star freshman receiver, was a bit coy when asked about the name of the play he scored a 48-yard touchdown on against Nebraska, not wanting to give away any intelligence on offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s scheme.
He did acknowledge one thing.
“It’s a lot of words,” Gilmer said.
Mastering so many new concepts came with a learning curve that no longer appears steep. UCLA has averaged 31 points over its last two games, more than doubling the 14.5 points it averaged on the way to a 1-5 start.
“Everyone’s playing football, man,” Gilmer said. “Before, it was like, we can’t mess this up, we can’t do that wrong. But now we’re playing football and having fun. I think the best thing about football is when you have fun and you give it your all, you go out there and make plays.”
Garbers time
UCLA’s offensive surge has largely been fueled by its quarterback.
Over his last two games, Ethan Garbers has completed 77.8% of his passes for 602 yards and six touchdowns without an interception. Those numbers are especially impressive when one considers that he had thrown for four touchdowns and nine interceptions over his previous five games this season.
“There were a couple unfortunate things that were going on for him and it all wasn’t Ethan,” Foster said. “You know, we were still trying to get the O-line exactly where we wanted them to be and, you know, sometimes he might’ve had a hand in his face or somebody and we might’ve had a couple unlucky throws. But, you know, I think he’s settled down and is staying upright and making plays.
“He’s a top-10 player in this league and I just think that he’s finally being able to let everybody know how good he can be.”
