It could be impossible for UCLA to move the ball on Penn State if its starting quarterback can’t play

UCLA starting quarterback Ethan Garbers left the Bruins' Week 5 loss to Oregon after he was sacked four times. Backup Justyn Martin replaced Garbers as DeShaun Foster’s team fell to 1-3, but even after he missed UCLA’s early week practices, Foster still expects him to play in Week 6 against Penn State’s elite defense in Happy Valley. 

On Monday, the UCLA media asked Foster about Garber’s availability for Saturday and he said, “When I talked to Ethan, he told me he was playing.” 

Entering this matchup as four-touchdown underdogs, UCLA will desperately need a healthy Garbers to have any chance on offense. Martin is a sophomore with five career pass attempts and leaning on the run-game won't be an option for the Bruins.

UCLA has the worst statistical run game in the Big Ten, and its rushing attack has nearly struggled as much as Kent State, which Penn State held to 48 yards on the ground and 1.6 yards per carry in Week 4.

This season, the Bruins' leading rusher TJ Harden has gained just 125 yards on his 41 carries and has accounted for the team’s lone rushing touchdown. Last week, Oregon held UCLA to just 47 rushing yards and 2.0 yards per carry. Now, the ground game will be even tougher to establish against Penn State. 

After struggling the first half of Week 2 against Bowling Green, defensive coordinator Tom Allen has sorted out his defense and solved a communication issue that was making it hard for linebacker Kobe King to relay his play calls to the rest of the defense. Through the Nittany Lion’s 4-0 start, Allen’s unit ranks fourth in total defense, fifth in yards per play allowed, seventh in rushing defense, and fourth in yards per rush, allowing just 2.3. 

Remarkably, even with injuries to star safety Kevin Winston Jr. who has been out since Week 2, and starting linebacker Dom DeLuca sidelined in Week 5, Penn State’s defense has a stuff rate of 30.7% which accounts for runs stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage. 

This offseason, Penn State's best defensive player, Abdul Carter, moved from linebacker to defensive end because of his pass-rushing abilities, but he’s been stellar against the run too. Carter has seven run-game stops and an average depth of tackle of -0.7 yards. He was the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Week for his two-sack performance against Illinois, but he wasn’t the only dominant defensive lineman. 

Zane Durant, the most underrated player on Penn State’s entire defense, has a 0.9-yard average depth of tackle with five run-game stops on the year. Against Illinois, he was constantly penetrating the backfield and finished with two tackles for a loss and his second sack of the season. 

Garbers is only completing 57.3% of his passes with three touchdowns to six interceptions, but the Penn State’s immense advantage in the trenches, his playmaking ability is UCLA’s only hope of moving the ball at Beaver Stadium on Saturday.

Allen answered a lot of questions with his defense’s performance against Illinois, and his group should continue that dominance in Week 6 regardless of which UCLA quarterback plays. However, if Garbers cannot go, it might be impossible for the Bruins to move ball consistently.