How Far Can Eric Bieniemy & Ethan Garbers Carry UCLA Football In Big Ten Football?

it's a forgone conclusion UCLA is going to get three wins they're going to suck and they can't do anything right or can Eric bemy Ethan garbers and the UCLA offense have something to say about a potential seven to eight win season you are locked on UCLA your daily podcast on the UCLA Bruins part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day welcome everybody to this edition of the locked on UCLA podcast I'm your host Zack ederson yimer thanks for making this show your first listen each and every day it's free where we get your podcast and it's available on YouTube like comment subscribe thanks for your support and this episode is brought to you by Game Time create an account download the app and you can get $20 off your first purchase using the code locked on College on your first purchase terms apply what we're talking about today is it's a foregone conclusion right the UCLA team this year is going to be led offensively rather than they were defensively well you would think leaning into the Chip Kelly era that's how it's been but in a more stunning reversal a twist of fate of sorts UCLA had a bowling season had a good season last year I know there were some very frustrating moments but the brightest moments were the defense in 2024 with aaka Malloy using transfers limited limited use guys it's going to be the defense and kamoo is gonna have to be creative with a danin philosophy while UCLA has Eric benmy leading the charge with a veteran quarterback trying to surprise a big 10 team because the staple of the Big 10 conference physicality strong defense is Iowa can't beat you scoring the football but they can beat you because they won't let you score any points that was the joke in recent years Penn State an even greater version of that because they couldn't do anything against Michigan and what Michigan have to do all they had to do is run the football against the team in Penn State and they beat him right so the idea is physicality and overall Big Time defense is going to win then why did Washington State find ways to beat Wisconsin right why did the most recent Ohio State Oregon match up go to Oregon why did and the list goes on and on okay and now that's not everything those are all Pack 12 teams or Pack 12 teams going into a new Big 10 era conference realignment era but UCLA last year if you look at total off fits of numbers I believe if you go on a compar contrast 247 Sports put put this up UCLA would have been the fifth best in an 18 team conference if you go by year-to-year models in offense would have been the fifth best team in offense and with the eye test you look at UCLA and that was a pretty poor offensive get that was a pretty poor offensive showing last year for UCLA and a Chip Kelly offense not the biggest and beefiest up front couldn't really control the line of scrimmage still found Rays to run the football had freshman quarterback mistakes had veterans still being a little shaky had quarterback injuries not a lot of depth it seemed like because run they were trying to figure out which running back to use but by the time the season came in and came to an end clear top 10 running back top end running back top end quarterback you've got a talented receiving group that looks even better than last year with almost the same group healthier and a transfer or two with some incoming freshman and then you've got a tight end and matal ready to break out right so this is a team where stacked against the numbers I think UCLA could make some noise now is it 78 wins is it down to four to three that's the battle but remember you got a loud feisty offensive coordinator who I think is coming in at the right time right of course Chip Kelly was going to call plays nothing was ever going to change that well in a day and age where you've got so much turnover so much to try and Implement a lot of the youth offensively is not going to play right it's not a team that's filled with freshman sophomores no you've got Sturdivant who's been around college football right you've got Titus Moko atam malalo who's been around college football these guys have been around since spring largely in part garbers has been in the UCLA system Lear a new system now with Eric benmy and the West Coast offense which gives him more control and it's easier doing that with the red shirt senior quarterback than it would have been with the true freshman a true sophomore a garbers who hadn't been through the fight last year to earn his spot through one two three quarterback battles within an individual year with let alone the injuries and poor you know protection pass protection against the blitz last year and a rigidly stubborn coach that wouldn't give him a second opportunity and I was hard to do that too as well but still he's been through it all so when it comes to a guy who can be a vocal leader a loud head coach who you know if you go back to April in the LA Times article he had the the quote of the enemy scream at his team if you don't know the snap count get off the bleeping field right because we know bemy is going to make sure the players know what's going on and this is a team last year that when you look at UCLA overall I think they were close to a top 30 overall offense in the country then when you looked at passing numbers UCLA fell back down to the 60th Mark in the country you take out the game against North Carolina Central because Dante Moore literally in the first play of the game threw a 70 yard pass to a wideopen receiver then they go back down to 60 mid 60s if you look at numbers when it comes to some of the better total offenses but a team overall offense passing wise and yes the Bruins are a bit more balanced when it came to the rushing attack and passing but what plagued them last year was the inability to throw the football and simple passing schemes now UCLA brings back the the fullback right that that's not a staple it's not something you're going to see in any Chip Kelly offense you're going to see a couple of tight ends and while UCLA did make tight ends an advantage despite having you know not the biggest of household names they don't have the Brock Bowers of the world but they made what they had work and turn Walk-Ons into scholarship guys and very productive outputs from tight ends which this year is a thin position because of injuries and graduation and what may have you even though matal is primed for a breakout Year award watch list for the John Macky award okay so you look at a team that's bringing back a starting quarterback a running back another running back in the transfer portal stacked at the running back position where if Atkins can be healthy athony Anthony Atkins coming from right the the service Academy Schools knowing how to run the triple option could be a good fullback option if he's ready to go he's been battling some injuries UCLA piling up on the amount of running backs that they can have for just running back depth and fullback depth and just to make something new happen because UCL will lean a little more this year with a passing threat than they have in years past now you're not going to have Patrick Mahomes back there firing passes one foot flicking it to the end zone 70 yards on a dime or no look passes or whatever may have you but a veteran quarterback at the right time with a team that is learning a new complicated scheme and what did did what did Logan Loya say best it's a buffet everybody's gonna Feast so this is a team ready to beat you with any weapon they have a quarterback who if kept upright I believe will make so many better decisions than what Dante Moore did last year when he had the pick six bug you know pick six again and again against you know all the interceptions all the turnovers between the Washington State game between the Oregon State between Utah all the the interceptions and the bugs UCLA couldn't get through that hopefully is not a thing for a quarterback that could complete close to 65 70% of his passes and had 11 touchdown to three interception ratio in limited time against tougher opponents and really charge the Bruins up the same reception that DeShaun got as the head coach being announced to the UCLA football team earlier this year after the quick hiring weekends was what Eric Ethan garbers excuse me Ethan garbers is the leader in charge of this team as a player as a quarterback with what Eric benamy can use so a team that's going to have similar depth hopefully more stability and a bit more depth on the offensive line with while there had been some injuries maybe that's allowed guys get more reps and provide backups key opportunities to understand the schemes and now UCLA just have to rely on just four to five guys and completely crumble if there's any injury in the offensive line that's not what it looks like this year but they are a key to success for this UCLA team so you've got a coach that's coached at the highest levels if he can get any sort of protection which Eric benmy did not get for his quarterback last year at the commanders any sort of protection and he'll have to be more creative he's not facing NFL pass rushers but there are going to be your Elite pass rushers coming out right UCLA faced one at Utah last year couple years ago there's one at USC UCLA had one of their own in lat two you're going to face those Stout defenses but then you got a team that comes in with what would have been the fifth best offense in the conference which makes you wonder what was the rest of these teams doing offensively that uccla in a down year in chip Kelly's era could have been one of the better offenses in the Big 10 well this discuss debate and talk more about it next unlocked on UCLA I'm thinking you should get some tickets some games coming up right because Major League Baseball summer Dog Days of August the teams they need your support because pennant races playoff races are heating up game time is an authorized ticket Marketplace 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your first purchase again terms apply create an account use the code locked on college for $20 off download today game time last minute tickets lowest price guaranteed all right I'm going to be frank with you as we start segment two of the lock Don UCLA podcast as much as the numbers do show that UCLA would have been a fifth best offense in the conference which now was close to 20 teams I think UCLA would have been bullied to milina scrimmage a freshman quarterback I just think it would have been a lot to overcome despite UCLA's own Stout Big 10 like defense to bring it in UCLA's offense I think still would have suffered and struggled right because the big debate this year coming in over recent years are you right it's been the West Coast has been slept on in almost every sport most of the best athletes are going to the South they're going to the SEC they're going to where it was Texas and Oklahoma they're now SEC they're going Midwest whether Michigan's doing some show cause nonsense whatever right they've been leaving California or even if they're staying on the California side the Pacific Northwest staying West in Arizona it's been a completely slept on now dead basically conference in the Pack 12 where a lot of it was hey stay up look at these games were talented and then it came down to you know what actually the Big 10 was one of the biggest baddest best deep conferences that there is and well I guess we can't deny it even though you might talk about Michigan cheating but they made it to the playoff won the championship last year okay that's not the debate we're having it's the overall depth top to bottom in a conference where could UCLA Feast on those teams and at some point get good enough to beat an Ohio State Michigan what Oregon strives to be in year one of the big 10 what USC wishes they could be in year one of the big 10 what Washington is trying to restore after the brief but very great Michael penck era Michael penck Jr era at Washington under the very short but s super successful Kalin dor coaching tenure okay now UCLA what they're going to have to prove to be an eight- win team is that they can go beat these teams at home like Iowa like Minnesota that they can go on the road and knock off in Nebraska in a year where Nebraska was plagued by quarterback issues inability to win close games but UCLA is going to play in Fr a rabid fan base where if Nebraska's in it with the schedule that could find themselves down the stretch competing for a college football playoff spot UCLA is good enough to go pull off and upside down the road at one of these teams to be a good eight to nine win team UCLA is going to have to compete and do that this year right so the battle is can UCLA go Feast on these mediocre programs in the Big 10 that have not been good at years and then the finger gets pointed right back at you stealing gets pointed right back what have you done against mediocre talent and then the question and the debate would turn into you know the Pack 12 is a lot deeper true as it certainly was in 2023 arguably the same in 2022 some of the best most deep entertaining years of quarterback play and overall team play in the Pack 12 before it unceremoniously came to an end but now UCLA has to turn the page and turn into a team with Eric benmy that can light up the scoreboard it's not going to look like how it did with Chip Kelly where they could go down the field boom boom score some points some big breakout points while I think speed will be a bit of an emphasis we will see it's obvious you're going to see more of a pro style and I think that certainly fits Ethan garber's ability using the IQ not needing to be more dual threat needing to run be a DTR right Dante Moore was in that Ethan Garber really is in that but he can tuck it and run you need that guy to outsmart the opposition a offensive coordinator who is extremely intelligent and has found ways to be successful in different roles and why is everybody across the country saying it was one of the best tires in the country in terms of as an assistant coach or an offensive coordinator we've almost forgotten the hype that b enem is bringing with a veteran install not a sophomore quarterback you're not having to install a true freshman quarterback you've got guys sitting there in the in backup roles that are what is quite frankly a wideopen backup quarterback role fighting to be behind Ethan garbage even though it seems like it should be Justin Martin for right now there's a lot of Youth in that room Martin being the veteran of the guys who are just trailing garbers as qb1 that's okay but this is the right time in the right year for UCLA team to get ready go pound against Hawaii Indiana is undergoing QB undergoing quarter coaching changes that would hopefully be a good match up for UCL to Showcase a little bit of fireworks and then LSU a team who in recent years has been liable to give up a lot of points right as under an LSU team they've been liable they've been you know they're going undergoing a defensive coordinator change not because theirs got poached like UCLA did but because they want to change things up then it looks like hey where are these other matchups going to go and we'll Truly find out if the Big 10 is as deep as it is defensively top to bottom right top to bottom in that UCLA Iowa game will be so intriguing I think on a short week Friday night in the Rose Bowl there will be an influx of Iowa fans coming in to cheer on their hot guys against the UCLA fan base that I will question if we'll show up on a Friday night to cheer on a UCLA team against Iowa well that's high school football night on a Friday night but whole different thing that is where UCLA has an opportunity you're telling me a quarterback that's got veteran Savvy UCLA only lost one of the games that he started didn't lose any game that he completed if Ethan Garber stayed in the whole game this is a caveat because they were going to lose the Arizona game when he got knocked out despite a small window of a comeback every game was able to complete UCLA actually won and that's something that's forgotten and while garbers isn't the eye popping ESPN top 100 talents you've got a capable tail back tailbacks very capable fullbacks whoever UCL wants to put in there whether Atkins is ready to go as fullback number one whether they want to get a bowling ball style back however it rolls UCLA has sneaky good depth offensively in the receiver room all right they got some you they got the talent that can go deep they got the guys that can go underneath in the slot they got the tight end that can go make a big play 10 yards 15 yards per catch now do they have somebody behind matal we'll see how it actually plays out because the rest of that is up for grabs if the offensive line can hold up against the big physical fronts like it really couldn't last year or against any type of Blitz then UCLA will mightily struggle this year and they're going to go three and nine but from all accounts practice open practices garbers look sharp installs look a lot better not perfect they're not going to be perfect in the middle of August when the season starts two weeks right and this is earlier because normally the season starts like September 3D fourth fifth right or you know the Labor Day weekend this is an opportunity for UCL to prove and for all these Pack 12 turn Big 10 teams or Big 12 or ACC it was slept on the whole time now there's going to be teams that will suffer great travesties in the transition Beyond just the Washington State Oregon State being left in the dust in the Pack 12 unless they move to a different conference that has not happened yet but can Eric benmy and Ethan Garber carry they're gonna have to the sharp wooded quick wooded offensive coordinator who is demanding discipline that's one of DeShaun Foster's pillars a quarterback that wants to be the vocal leader that has been dying for his chance and everybody there that is equally as talented if not better than just about every team's offensive front across the conference okay yeah they're not gonna be perfect they're not going to go put up 40 a game but I think they can lead teams and they can find ways to beat teams they shouldn't into a bowling season hopefully okay and some of that's gonna be helped out by the student section what I mean we'll talk about it next un locked on UCLA well the recent news coming out of UCLA Camp is the announcement from UCLA Athletics that they mess with the rose bow a little bit are there going to be tarps no there shouldn't be tarps because I think the rose bow will be filled question is with how many UCLA fans I hope more than the visiting fans but the real fun story is the one that they're going to have the standing section only safe standing areas which apparently if you're big soccer ban big football fan is probably a newer thing that might start becoming a big thing hopefully You' think in American Sports because a lot of the American sports fans were not as passionate sitting there singing like the rest of the world is singing when it comes to soccer matches or everything but the announcement is they built safe standing areas a concept made popular in soccer specific stadiums where the UCLA student section students only has been expanded just to wiggle around the rose B and sit right behind the opponent's bench according to the UCLA press release about how they've messed around with the rose bow and heck they keep playing LFC LA Galaxy in the Rose bow on the fourth of July that might be something we all I wanted the the World Cup to be there in 2026 only for it to go to Sofi whatever Rose Bow's an iconic venue that seems like a fun idea and the safe standing room only of course too old not cool enough not young enough not student enough to get in there but we hope that the students can travel and Heck if it's leaking out to right behind just the opponent's bench this is what they said one the Rose Bowl will be one of the first college football stadiums to implement safe standing SE sections right so much of recent years at times in cheering on teams have been big upstitch racing onto the field and then going crazy with the fans largely the students rushing the field putting people at harm putting big fines in place wanting security to get tighter to avoid that now safe standing sections I wonder how that's going to play a role that's not really been a problem with UCLA or West Coast teams necessarily but it's going to have UCLA being the only big 10 team to have students s sitting directly behind the opponent's bench okay and the funny thing about football is right behind the bench right at like the 50 yard line is not exactly the most ideal seating if you're a football fan right that's not the best you're going to sit a lot but the idea is they want the students to go sit there talk their trash Yap it up and get into the minds of the opposition right it is basically go there and act like a small fool but respectful enough that you drive them mad in what should be even though people are still questioning how many fans will show up in the Rose Bowl this year what should be a more fun year with fans in the stadium the buzz can be the annoyances of all right the students getting into the opposition's head and what's funny for me is I'm wondering as fun as the Big 10 Road games will be the Ohio States the michigans this year the Penn States UCLA fans already know if they went in the rent decade how fun to Brasa is why haven't more teams done this why haven't they done this more and this is what the den President Nick Brown said I'm extremely I'm incredibly excited for the addition of safe standing areas for this upcoming football season having students directly behind the opposing team's bench will empower the Den's most passionate students to make their voices heard I can't wait to be back at the Rose bow to bring the energy and see the Bruins in action so it's already the section six through 10 that are student sections now they're they literally made a line that's going to be around the rose bow ringing into and trickling into right behind the bench so that should be fun I'm excited to see how it plays out and I wonder how many people are going to try and sneak into that section I wonder what's the what's the code how do you get into that spot it first come first serve by a brief read it doesn't look like that something but the safe standing areas are the first seven rows in these certain sections sections 2 through six specifically right so initially the old school 6 through1 sections student section expanded and I believe they've already discussed this but now it's actually happening they're really putting the work words and to pictures what this is going to look like sections 2 through six safe standing areas it's right behind the opponent's bench they'll be closer to the action like never before although football you like to be raised up a little bit about the 50 yard line and the first seven rows so if you got sections two through six that's about five sections seven rows that's a good 35 rows of yapping Hing hopefully directed right at the opposition's bench okay just all right come in here let's go Dylan Gabriel should have come to UCLA all right kid let's go let's go Indiana man you ain't got a chance all right we're gon to kick your butt and basketball all right boom boom boom boom boom boom what's else Iowa Iowa you're gonna score on offense all right boom boom boom boom boom let's see what's the next one Minnesota PJ you should have come to UCL oh we spurred you sorry boom boom boom boom USC oh that's that that that speaks for itself what's the next one boom boom up the top of my head boom Oh freso State yeah your your days your dog days are over Bo boom bo boom bam this all the Tom ahead rapid fire easy pick it up they're going to have if you are not really understanding how the student section work it's not the most behaved best behaved areas of all time but they're trying to lean into it and kind of negate the chatter of oh we're 45 minutes away or oh it takes so no no no no no no get off your frat in your sorority party stay there for four quarters and get into the opposition's mind all right and make sure you make the quarterback the coach's life just an annoying living hellscape of sorts for about 60 Minutes of football time okay so that should be fun and it'll be unique to see something that affects the seating something that affects the attendance that doesn't involve a tarp I'm excited to see how it plays out with the UCLA and Rose bow Stadium partnership to make this happen it's cool and I wonder if that's how they will slowly start to make things go for other games like the Rose bow game big events how that's going to affect in future games future years in the use of the facility but for now we get excited and this is what the student section should always start with in eight clap which is how we're ending the show all right hands up Bruins fans eight clap time baby and one two three four five six seven eight U C La UCLA fight fight fight this has been locked on UCLA Zack signing off go Bruins