Ethan Garbers passed for 289 yards and a touchdown to lead UCLA to a 20-13 win against visiting Fresno State in a nonconference game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday afternoon.
Garbers completed 26-of-40 passes without an interception for the third straight game.
Moliki Matavao was Garbers’ top target, catching eight passes for 120 yards for UCLA (5-7) in its season finale.
Mikey Keene completed 30-of-43 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown for Fresno State (6-6), which led 10-6 at the half.
The Bruins retook the lead on their first drive of the second half.
Garbers connected with Matavao on a 35-yard strike to the Fresno State 5 and T.J. Harden ran into the end zone on the next play to give UCLA a 13-10 lead.
UCLA drove inside the Fresno State 10 on its second possession of the second half, but Garbers threw incomplete on 4th-and-1.
A roughing-the-passer penalty on the Bulldogs on a third-down incompletion gave the Bruins a first down at the Fresno State 29, and the Bruins finished off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Garbers to J.Michael Sturdivant, stretching the lead to 20-10 with 1:38 left in the game.
Dylan Lynch booted his second field goal of the game for the Bulldogs, a 42-yarder with 31 seconds left, to trim the lead to 20-13, but the Bruins recovered the ensuing on-sides kick to secure the win.
Three false start penalties helped stall UCLA’s opening drive near midfield.
The Bruins had 1st-and-goal at the 9-yard line on their second drive, but had to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Mateen Bhaghani, giving UCLA a 3-0 lead with 4:36 left in the opening quarter.
UCLA outgained the Bulldogs 117-15 in the first quarter, but only held a 3-0 lead.
Jalen Moss fumbled a punt return early in the second quarter and UCLA recovered at the Bulldogs’ 12-yard line, but the Bruins had to settle for another field goal, a 40-yarder by Bhaghani that extended the lead to 6-0 with 12:51 left in the half.
Fresno State then strung together a 14-play, 76-yard scoring drive, taking a 7-6 lead on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Keene to Raylen Sharpe with 7:29 remaining in the first half.
Lynch booted a 48-yard field goal as the first half expired to extend the lead to 10-6 at the break.
–Field Level Media
The playoff-bound Buffalo Bills are far from satisfied. It’s been four weeks since Buffalo punched its ticket to the postseason, but the Bills still have plenty of work to do…
Riding a four-game winning streak, the Los Angeles Rams are playing some of their best football as they close in on a possible NFC West title. The Rams will aim…
The Las Vegas Raiders aren’t going to the playoffs. Neither are the New Orleans Saints. When the two teams meet Sunday in New Orleans, it will be largely an audition…
Rams on rise entering matchup with hurting Cardinals
Saints, smarting from shutout loss, seek turnaround vs. Raiders
Lamar Jackson breaks QB career rushing record
This time, Chargers looking for more than win at New England