UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers couldn’t get the words out fast enough.
“I will be coming back next year for one more year and I’m excited to see where we can take this,” the redshirt junior said after an offensive MVP performance in the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium.
Head coach Chip Kelly smiled and slapped him on the back.
“Merry Christmas,” he said.
The Bruins’ quarterback situation, which had many ups and downs this season, had more certainty on Saturday night after the LA Bowl when Garbers confirmed that he would return to UCLA (8-5) instead of entering the transfer portal.
Garbers took part in the senior night ceremony prior to the Bruins’ Pac-12 season finale against California on Nov. 25, but any ambiguity that might have added has been wiped away.
Collin Schlee took the first snap on Saturday against Boise State and the Bruins offense shifted to a ground-heavy attack that produced once touchdown when Schlee shoveled a last-minute, 5-yard pass to tight end Hudson Habermehl.
Schlee’s longest run of the night ended up being the one that took him out of the game. He took a hit early in the third quarter while running 44 yards down the sideline that left him laying on his back, helmet torn off by his own accord.
Garbers came in and completed 9 of 12 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns. He was voted the game’s offensive MVP.
“Are u not entertained?” Garbers posted on his Instagram story after the game.
Offensive lineman Duke Clemens told reporters earlier in the week that he’s observed some slight but important differences in Garbers’ preparation during practices, including more attention to detail and focus.
“Every single play matters and the details of every single play,” Garbers said on Saturday. “Stepping the right way, putting the ball where it needs to be. It’s all important and the details, the little things are what win games and I think that really showed.”
Kelly was able to sharpen his focus and maybe even revive some energy in the two weeks leading up to the LA Bowl by being more directly involved with the quarterback position group. Ryan Gunderson left his post as quarterbacks coach at UCLA to pursue an offensive coordinator role at Oregon State.
“I’ve had more fun than I’ve had coaching in a long time,” Kelly said, “because I actually got to be in the quarterback room and coach quarterbacks again.
“Sometimes as a head coach, you get disconnected from those guys because you manage the team but you don’t have an individual position group. And it’s a special group with Ethan in there.”
UCLA rotated between Garbers, Schlee and true freshman Dante Moore throughout this season, with Kelly giving up hardly a hint as to who would get the starting nod throughout media availability during the week.
Moore burst onto the scene with his charisma and big throws but ultimately ended up in the transfer portal after playing in nine games this season. He was 114-for-213 passing overall for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
The current state of next season’s quarterback room features Garbers, Schlee, redshirt freshman Justyn Martin and senior Chase Griffin, who has one year of eligibility remaining.
Kelly seemed firm in his decision to stick with Garbers’ leadership on Saturday night, regardless of what the room might look like.
“He won the team over a long time ago and he’s been our starting quarterback,” Kelly said. “He knows that he’s a starting quarterback here. I’ve got great faith in him.”
