UCLA Football: Position Grades for an outstanding win at Stanford

UCLA went to Stanford on Saturday and played well for their fifth win of the season, by dominating the Cardinals on both sides of the ball. Let’s take a close look and break down this performance, position by position.

Quarterbacks: A

Redshirt junior Ethan Garbers started the game and played the majority of the snaps, completing 20 of 28 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 51 yards. Freshman Dante Moore and redshirt senior Chase Griffin each saw playing time later in the game as well.

Garbers got off to a hot start, completing his first eight pass attempts and leading UCLA down the field with two quick touchdowns. He was efficient and accurate throughout the game, and he avoided making any costly mistakes. Moore and Griffin both looked good in their limited roles and did not turn the ball over.

Overall, UCLA’s quarterbacks had a very good game against Stanford. They were able to move the ball down the field consistently and they made big plays when needed. Garbers had a particularly impressive performance, and he looks to be the starter for the Bruins heading into the game against Colorado next week.

Here is a brief summary of each quarterback’s performance:

Ethan Garbers: 20-28 passing, 240 yards, 2 touchdowns, 51 rushing yards
Dante Moore: 4-5 passing, 26 yards, 11 rushing yards
Chase Griffin: 1-1 passing, 16 yards

Running Backs: A

UCLA running backs combined rushed for a combined 160 yards and four touchdowns. Redshirt sophomore Carson Steele led the way, carrying the ball 20 times for 76 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore TJ Harden added 12 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown and junior Anthony Adkins had eight carries for 29 yards.

Steele got the Bruins off to a hot start, scoring touchdowns on their first two drives of the game. He was a force to be reckoned with all night long, and he was able to find the end zone from both short and long distances. Harden and Adkins also had productive games, and they helped to keep the Stanford defense off balance.

Overall, UCLA’s running backs had a very good game against Stanford. Steele had a particularly impressive performance, and he looks to be one of the best running backs in the Pac-12.

Receivers/Tight Ends: B+

UCLA’s wide receivers and tight ends had a solid performance, totaling 271 yards and two touchdowns on 24 receptions. Sophomore J. Michael Sturdivant led the way with five catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. Senior tight end Hudson Habermehl added three catches for 54 yards and senior wide receiver Kyle Ford had three catches for 44 yards.

Habermehl had a big play earlier in the game, catching a 45-yard pass from Garbers and Ford a 37-yard reception as well. Sturdivant also had an eight-yard touchdown catch in the second half and sophomore tight end Moliki Matavao shortly after had a 20-yard touchdown and it helped to give UCLA a 35-point lead. Senior Josiah Norwood also had a good game, and he was a reliable target throughout the game catching five passes for 34 yards.

Overall, UCLA’s wide receivers had a solid performance against Stanford. They were able to make big plays when needed, and they caught the ball for the Bruins when needed to get first downs.. Sturdivant had a particularly impressive performance, and he looks to be one of the best wide receivers in the Pac-12.