Postgame Notes - UCLA at Stanford (Oct. 21, 2023)

Postgame Notes
UCLA vs. Stanford
Oct. 21, 2023
  • With the win tonight, UCLA now leads the series with Stanford 49-43-3. The teams have played each other at least once each season since 1946, and prior to a wartime break, from 1928-1942, following an initial meeting in 1925.
  • With the win tonight over Stanford, UCLA has won 17 of its last 23 games overall.
  • Tonight’s win over Stanford is UCLA’s third-straight over the Cardinal which is UCLA’s longest streak against the Cardinal since it won five straight in the series from 2004-08.
  • With tonight’s win, UCLA is 10-4 overall in its past 14 true road contests, 8-4 in past 12 Pac-12 road matchups and 22-24-2 in games played at Stanford.
  • After Stanford’s third-quarter touchdown tonight, UCLA’s defense has given up nine touchdowns this season (1 rush, 8 pass).
  • UCLA posted its second first-half shut out of the 2023 season when it took a 21-0 lead into the intermission. The Bruins also blanked North Carolina Central in game three of this season (45-0).
  • UCLA scored a touchdown on its first drive of the game for the third time this season (also Coastal Carolina, North Carolina Central). The Bruin defense did not surrender points on the first Cardinal drive and Oregon State (field goal) remains the only team to score this season on its initial drive of the game against the Bruins.
  • After Stanford rushed for 24 yards in tonight’s game, UCLA has given up less than 100 yards rushing to five opponents this season – also 12 WSU, 90 to NCCU, 63 to SDSU, 56 to Coastal Carolina. UCLA is now 18-3 in games it has given up less than 100 yards rushing under Chip Kelly.
  • Tonight was quarterback Ethan Garbers’ third career start for UCLA – 2021 at Utah (L), 2023 vs. Coastal Carolina (W). Garbers threw for 265 yards and two touchdowns on 27-for-44 passing with an interception for UCLA at Utah in his first career start as a freshman in 2021. Earlier this season, he threw for 121 yards and a touchdown on 10-for-17 passing with a couple of interceptions in the 2023 season-opener against Coastal Carolina.
  • Carson Steele doubled his season total with three rushing touchdowns in the first half against Stanford. It marks the fourth time in his career that Steele has rushed for three scores in a game. The last time came against Toledo in the 2022 he played at Ball State. Zach Charbonnet, who did it three times during the 2022 season, was the last Bruin to rush for three TDs in a game (against Arizona). Charbonnet is also the last player to run for three scores in a half – he did it twice in 2021 (first half vs. Hawai’i; second half vs. Colorado)
  • Laiatu Latu recorded a first-half sack against Stanford and now leads the team with 10.0 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He had 10.5 sacks in 2022 and his UCLA career total of 17.0 sacks is now tied for 13th on the all-time school list with Takkarist McKinley 2014-16, Neal Dellocono 1981-84, Karl Morgan 1979-82, Martin Moss 1978-81 and Manu Tuiasosopo 1975-78; At No. 12 on the list is Frank Stephens 1975-77, at 19.0, 11th is Justin Hickman 2004-06 at 19.5, 10th is Mark Walen 1982-85 at 20.0. Latu has recorded at least 0.5 sacks in 8/13 contests in 2022 and 5/7 games in 2023.
  • Logan Loya had four catches in the game against Stanford and now has 20 over the past four games --- 5 at Oregon State, 6 vs. Washington State, 5 at Utah for 63. He has caught a scoring pass in games this season against San Diego State, Washington State and Oregon State.
  • Tight end Hudson Habermehl tied his career-high with three catches (in the first half) against the Cardinal. He had three catches in multiple games last season (Washington and Arizona), the most recent being against the Wildcats.
  • J.Michael Sturdivant caught his third scoring pass of the season in the third quarter (also TD receptions against Coastal Carolina and North Carolina Central). He kept his reception streak alive with 5 catches for 54 yards against the Cardinal. He is the lone Bruin to catch a pass in all seven games in the 2023 season. Sturdivant had at least three catches in each of Cal’s 12 games in the 2022 season before transferring to UCLA.
  • Alex Johnson blocked a Stanford third quarter punt. It was the first Bruin punt block since the 2021 season (Martell Irby vs. Oregon).
  • Moliki Matavao caught his first scoring pass as a Bruin, a 20-yard toss from Ethan Garbers, in the third quarter at Stanford. He caught his last scoring pass in 2022 for Oregon in a game against Colorado. Matavao now has six receptions of at least 20 yards this season for UCLA – 20 at Stanford, 34 at Oregon State, 20, 27 29 vs. WSU; 35 at SDSU – to rank third on the team in number of 20-yard plays.
  • After Devin Kirkwood’s forced fumble in the fourth quarter, UCLA has recorded at least one turnover in each of the past 10 games and in 21 of the past 23 games. This was UCLA’s first game of the season without an offensive turnover.
  • After rushing for 221 yards in the win against Stanford, UCLA is now 25-7 under Chip Kelly when the team rushes for at least 200 yards in a game … previously this season it has rushed for at least 200 yards against: San Diego State – 276; North Carolina Central – 413; Oregon State – 284.
  • Next up: UCLA welcomes Colorado (4-3, 1-3) to Rose Bowl Stadium next Saturday. The ABC broadcast is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m.