Bruins Come Out on Top
Pasadena, Calif. - On Nov. 30 the UCLA Bruins football team (5-7) won their final game of their season against the Fresno State Bulldogs (6-6), 20-13. Before the match, the seniors on both teams were recognized and honored, as well as the senior members of the UCLA band.
Bruins’ quarterback Ethan Garber passed for 289 yards and a touchdown. Bruins’ linebacker Carson Schwesinger became the first UCLA player to successfully block a punt and finished with the most solo tackles by a Big Ten conference player with 90 tackles.
“It felt great, honestly. It was a team effort. All 11 guys came out in the second half and dominated. We did what we needed to do and we were successful.” said Bruins’ quarterback Ethan Garber in a post game press conference.
Despite the game opening with several penalties, the Bruins secured the lead in the second quarter, but the Bulldogs were able to catch up and take the lead in the third. However, a late first down with five minutes left in the fourth quarter allowed the Bruins to regroup and score another touchdown, securing their win.
“This game went very similar to how our season went. We had a few ups and downs, but my guys are very resilient.” said Bruins’ head coach DeShaun Foster to the media. “They’ve continued to play hard. They don’t let things affect them. I’m just blessed that I had the type of team that just continues to fight. We came out of the half and scored some points and got it going.”
“It was just more about us. It wasn’t anything that we needed to correct. We were kind of getting in our own way in that first half. So it was just more or less, we’ve got to get out there and execute – just stop doing things that will stop drives. Just have to find ways to execute a play. Defensively, they did a great job. They came out and played well. Carson [Schwesinger] had 15 tackles, and that is probably the Butkus winner.” said Foster to the media. “Everybody make sure that you do your part. I’m saying to do your part because you guys see Carson every day. You guys see him at practice. You see how he has played in every game. You know that he didn’t start those first three games, and he still leads the nation in tackles. It was just a testament to what type of player he is – a former walk-on. And we probably shouldn’t even be saying that because he’s most definitely a scholarship player, but that’s just where he started. If he leaves, that is somebody who is going to be missed. He’s most definitely put his stamp on this program."