UCLA
5-7 , 3-6
Fresno State
6-6 , 4-3
UCLA Football Outlasts Fresno State, 20-13
November 30, 2024 | Football
PASADENA, Calif. โ The UCLA football team earned a 20-13 victory in the Bruins' final game of the 2024 season, a non-conference showdown, on Saturday afternoon under sunny skies at the Rose Bowl.
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Leading 13-10 through the majority of the second half, the Bruins (5-7) added a touchdown with 1:38 to play in the fourth quarter and secured a 10-point advantage against Fresno State (6-6).
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Fresno State added a 41-yard field goal with 31 seconds left in the final quarter. The Bulldogs' ensuing onside kick was kicked out of bounds on UCLA's 48-yard line, and Bruins' quarterback Ethan Garbers kneeled out the clock to seal the win for UCLA.
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"This game went very similar to how our season went," UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster said. "We had a few ups and downs, but my guys are very resilient. 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."
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Garbers completed 26 of 40 passes for 289 yards and one touchdown in his final collegiate game. The redshirt senior quarterback from Newport Beach, Calif., helped the Bruins snap a four-game losing skid to Fresno State and record their first win over the Bulldogs since a 24-21 victory at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 9, 2000.
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Bruins' tight end Moliki Matavao had eight receptions and a team-leading 120 reception yards to lead the team's receiving corps.
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Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene finished Saturday's game having completed 30 of 43 pass attempts for 219 yards and one touchdown.
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UCLA outgained Fresno State in total offensive yards by a 363 to 281 margin, as the Bruins registered 289 total passing yards. The Bruins' defense held Fresno State to a late field goal in the second half.
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Leading by a 13-10 margin, the Bruins converted on a key third-and-3 situation with 3:36 to play in regulation. Garbers kept the ball on a play-action call and ran around the corner for seven yards and the ensuing first down (at the Fresno State 22-yard line). Six plays later, UCLA found the end zone with a two-yard touchdown pass over the middle from Garbers to wide receiver J.Michael Sturdivant.
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Bruins' linebacker Carson Schwesinger finished with 15 tackles, marking his ninth game this season with at least 10 tackles โ the highest single-season total with 10+ tackles since Eric Kendricks had 11 during the 2014 season.
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Prior to kickoff of the Bruins' final regular-season contest, UCLA honored 42 senior student-athletes as the Bruins hosted their final home game.
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UCLA took a 13-10 lead in the first four minutes of the third quarter, racing down the field in four plays. The Bruins' capped a 56-yard scoring drive with a five-yard touchdown rush up the middle by T.J. Harden. UCLA's touchdown drive included a 35-yard pass play from Garbers to Matavao that put the Bruins on Fresno State's five-yard line.
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The Bruins kicked a pair of field goals in the opening two quarters to secure an early 6-0 lead. Mateen Bhaghani kicked a 23-yard field goal at the 4:36 mark in the first quarter, and the Bruins' sophomore kicker converted on a 40-yard field goal attempt with 12:51 left in the second quarter.
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Fresno State took a 7-6 lead and extended its first-half advantage to 10-6 by the game's intermission. The visiting Bulldogs used a 14-play, 76-yard drive to score the game's first touchdown โ a seven-yard pass from Keene to wide receiver Raylen Sharpe with 7:29 left in the first half.
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Fresno State's Dylan Lynch kicked through a 48-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter to push the Bulldogs' margin to 10-6 against UCLA.
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Saturday's victory helped the Bruins close their 2024 campaign with four wins in the team's final six games.
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Team Stats
FSU 0, UCL 3
UCL - Bhaghani,Mateen 23 yd field goal 10 plays, 58 yards, TOP 03:30
FSU 0, UCL 6
UCL - Bhaghani,Mateen 40 yd field goal 4 plays, -10 yards, TOP 01:11
FSU 7, UCL 6
FSU - Sharpe,Raylen 7 yd pass from Keene,Mikey (Lynch,Dylan kick) 14 plays, 76 yards, TOP 05:17
FSU 10, UCL 6
FSU - Lynch,Dylan 48 yd field goal 10 plays, 60 yards, TOP 01:18
FSU 10, UCL 13
UCL - Harden,T.J. 5 yd run (Bhaghani,Mateen kick), 4 plays, 56 yards, TOP 01:56
FSU 10, UCL 20
UCL - Sturdivant,J.Michael 2 yd pass from Garbers,Ethan (Bhaghani,Mateen kick) 15 plays, 78 yards, TOP 06:14
FSU 13, UCL 20
FSU - Lynch,Dylan 42 yd field goal 7 plays, 51 yards, TOP 01:07
