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UCLA Football: Position Grades for win over Coastal Carolina

By Jake Mitchell

Sep 2, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Dante Moore (3) scrambles in the pocket to throw a complete pass in the first half against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 2, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Dante Moore (3) scrambles in the pocket to throw a complete pass in the first half against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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UCLA Football
UCLA FootballMandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

The season-opener for UCLA football against Coastal Carolina wasn’t the most crisp of affairs, but when it was all said and done, there were plenty of positives to take away.

Quarterback: Split Grade

It’s impossible to grade this unit as a whole, considering this contest was really a tale of two quarterbacks.

Ethan Garbers, who started the game, receives a D+. He went 10-of-17 for 121 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. He led the Bruins on a touchdown drive to open things, but the offense stalled under him otherwise.

Dante Moore, on the other hand, gets an A-. He was the spark that ultimately led UCLA to a victory. The true freshman finished 7-of-12 for 143 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. It wasn’t a perfect night, but it was pretty darn close a debut.

Running Back: B

The two-headed rushing attack of TJ Harden and Carson Steele was solid and reliable on Saturday night. Harden carried the ball 11 times for 76 yards, Steele 13 times for 76 as well. Each had a 20-plus yard run on the night as well.

Steele was also effective in catching the ball out of the backfield, hauling in four balls for 20 yards and a touchdown.

Wide Receiver: A

It was the J. Michael Sturdivant show against Coastal Carolina. He caught five balls for 136 yards, including a spectacular 62-yard touchdown catch to help UCLA pull away in the fourth quarter.

https://twitter.com/UCLAFootball/status/1698200571755512144

Offensive Line: C-

Coastal Carolina registered just one sack and two tackles for loss on Saturday night. The big thing missing for this unit was a more consistent push in the run game. 54 of the team’s 153 rushing yards were gained on just two plays, leaving the remaining 99 yards coming on 29 carries. That’s an unimpressive 3.4 yards per carry.