Postgame Quotes – LSU 34, UCLA 17
POSTGAME QUOTES
LSU 34, UCLA 17
Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Stadium)
Sept. 21, 2024
UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster
opening remarks
“Team came out and played well in the first half. Second half, we did not execute the way that we wanted to, and the score really reflected what happened in the game. We cannot continue to beat ourselves. We have to allow a team to beat us. But this is baby steps and I just liked the way that my team is fighting. They’re being resilient. Tthey are continually trying to fight during the game.”
on if he views this effort at LSU as a significant step forward for his team
“I mean, the scoreboard is still the bottom line, but the fact that we are able to execute like I have seen us do in practice, it just feels good. It’s a two-half game and it’s four quarters, and we showed up for two of them. When you are playing against a good team like that, you have to show up for all four.”
on Ethan Garbers and if LSU did anything in the second half to get him out of rhythm
“I wouldn’t necessarily say that. But they were able to get to him a little bit more, just a couple of protection breakdowns. Guys might have missed blocks, but other than that, they continued to do what we thought they were doing.”
on how now being able to get the team’s defense off the field could have contributed to the loss
“You know, it was hot out there, but I do think my guys played pretty well when it was really hot. That first half, it was probably hotter than it was in the second half. I’m just saying, we didn’t execute. Like I have told you guys before, we execute at practice and that first half shows you that we can execute. As long as we can continue to make strides, I think that we will be OK.”
on the Bruins’ running game and what he sees right now
“We were one block away, one step away – the run game is not exactly where I need it to be, but it’s improving. I liked that [Jalen] Berger got in there, hand some runs, and Keegan [Jones] did too. T.J. [Harden] has always been a good runner. We’ve just got to continue to make strides in the run game. Our offense is just champing at the bit to get the opportunity to play again.”
on how much pass blocking and run blocking is technique or effort and attitude
“It’s a little bit of both, but it is a lot of want-to. When you are in there blocking, it’s just the want-to. You’ve got to want to keep that guy away from our quarterback. I’ll just try and watch this tape and dissect what is going on out there, and we should be able to fix this. Like I said last week, it’s still early in the season. We still have a few more games. I’m just excited that we can continue to play. If this were at the end of the season, I would be hurting a lot because we wouldn’t get an opportunity to show character. But after that type of a loss and the character that they showed and how resilient this team is, I’m excited for the future.”
on UCLA’s running game and what steps forward he has seen
“The stats might not say exactly what it did, but the run game helped us. It kept us ahead of the chains. The only time that we were really behind the chains were with penalties, holding, stuff like that, so the run game is getting there. It isn’t as easy as it seems, sometimes, but as long as my guys continue to fight and they want to get better, they will get better.”
on LSU not taking as many deep shots in the second half and how that could have helped them
“I think it was more that they were able to run the ball a little bit more. I’d say that. They kept us off balance a little bit. But we kept putting them out there. The offense still needs to do its job. It’s all three phases in this game, and our offense didn’t really do what it wanted to do in the second half. That will put a lot of burden on the defense.”
on LSU’s defensive line and handling the pass rush
“It was OK, but it could be better. Every phase can improve. When we watch this tape and get in there, we’ll see. You’ve got to learn from losses. This was a true learning experience.”
on how this road experience can help the team going forward (such as the Oct. 5 game at Penn State)
“They’re going to be ready. That was 100,00 out there. Those fans were into the game, especially early. Like I have said, it is a learning experience. They’re going to continue to learn, but with my team, they fight – that is all that I can ask for with my guys.”
on the emergence of players like Carter Shaw, Kwazi Gilmer, and Jalen Berger
“Most definitely. When you have players like that, it’s good to see them make plays, especially in this type of an environment – two freshmen in there able to play in front of 100,000. I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do for the rest of the season. And [Jalen] Berger has been in these types of situations. We already know that he is a season veteran.”
on what he has seen with Ethan Garbers’ improvement at quarterback
“Ethan has been improving in every game. It’s good that he can take shots. First off, he’s a tough kid. He gets out there and makes a lot of plays for us. I know that he might have thrown a pick towards the end of the game, but he is still out there fighting. He’s our leader and the guys follow him. I love the way he plays the game and approaches it, and hopefully he can stay healthy and keep going.”
UCLA senior quarterback Ethan Garbers
on how the team showed a lot fight, particularly in the first half, and what they were thinking at halftime
“We came out at halftime and we thought we had a really good chance to win this game, which we did. We got the ball back in the third quarter, and we needed to put a drive together. We just didn’t execute. Again, we were shooting ourselves in the foot in the second half. I am really proud of how the guys played in the first half. We really have got something to build on now, and some momentum offensively.
on the key to getting that momentum in the first half
“I think just our mindset was better. I mean, the whole week we had been talking about how there was no pressure on us to go out there and perform. We just needed to play free and play with no pressure. I mean, everyone was doing their job and everyone knew what to do and we were executing. So it seemed like it worked.”
on if he felt like his timing in the passing game was better today
“Yeah, definitely. I mean in the first half, we had something good going and we’ve got to work to sustain that for four quarters. We cannot just not score any points in the second half, it’s not going to be great. But we have just got to keep working and building on what we had today. We are going to keep our heads up.”
on if LSU did anything on defense in the second half to get him off his rhythm
“Yeah, they rushed the passer all night long. But coverage-wise, they played a little more zone. They are a great team and they’re going to go a long way. Hats off to them. But we have just got to be better.”
on how much more the Bruins need a more robust running game
“Yeah, I felt like we actually ran the ball pretty well against their front seven today. I know that all of the sack yardage is going to probably throw that back. But we did a decent job moving the line of scrimmage and gaining positive yards on runs. And yeah, that is just something else that we are building on. But a good run game is a quarterback’s best friend. We are still working on it and we are going to be better.”
on if he feels like this team can build upon this game today
“We are disappointed in the outcome. But I think with how we played in the first half versus a good LSU team like that, and an SEC team, I think that we are proud of that. But I’m not proud of how we finished. I am not proud of how we played in the second half.”
on some of the contributions he saw today from Carter Shaw and Kwazi Gilmer
“Yeah, it’s great, those young guys coming in and getting some game-time reps. I’ve just got to continue to work and build chemistry with them. I really like what Carter and Kwazi are doing. It’s just good if we can get guys rotating in there, getting fresh legs. I am really proud of those guys.”
UCLA redshirt junior linebacker Carson Schwesinger
on LSU sustaining drives in the second half and how they kept their drives alive
“Yeah, going into the second half, similar to what Ethan just said, we were going in needing to get a stop to start off. We built off that first half. We needed a little bit more communication from the defense and building on things like that. Obviously, teams are going to come out with adjustments. But we have to come out and adjust the same way, too.”
on LSU having some strong drives in substantial heat and a tough atmosphere
“I think that one of the things we want to do when we get on the field is to get back off the field and get the offense the ball back. The long drives and the heat, obviously, yeah, they can affect us but we are all playing in it. We have to keep our communication and keep our technique, assignment, alignment, technique and opponent on nose on those long drives to be able to get off the field.”
on how challenging it was to not get many tackles for loss in this game
“I think that in any football game, one of the things that we try and do is what we say is create havoc. That can be PBUs, interceptions, TFLs, and those are things that we are going to have to do moving forward to get off the field and to keep those drives from becoming those long drives that we had in that second half.”
on the team’s defense taking some positive steps forward
“Yeah, we have a lot of good football players on defense. I think that we are moving things around to see where we can get the best cohesive units, getting everyone in that can make impactful plays. How that changes, week to week, it’s really just us trying to get our best guys on the field.”
LSU 34, UCLA 17
Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Stadium)
Sept. 21, 2024
UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster
opening remarks
“Team came out and played well in the first half. Second half, we did not execute the way that we wanted to, and the score really reflected what happened in the game. We cannot continue to beat ourselves. We have to allow a team to beat us. But this is baby steps and I just liked the way that my team is fighting. They’re being resilient. Tthey are continually trying to fight during the game.”
on if he views this effort at LSU as a significant step forward for his team
“I mean, the scoreboard is still the bottom line, but the fact that we are able to execute like I have seen us do in practice, it just feels good. It’s a two-half game and it’s four quarters, and we showed up for two of them. When you are playing against a good team like that, you have to show up for all four.”
on Ethan Garbers and if LSU did anything in the second half to get him out of rhythm
“I wouldn’t necessarily say that. But they were able to get to him a little bit more, just a couple of protection breakdowns. Guys might have missed blocks, but other than that, they continued to do what we thought they were doing.”
on how now being able to get the team’s defense off the field could have contributed to the loss
“You know, it was hot out there, but I do think my guys played pretty well when it was really hot. That first half, it was probably hotter than it was in the second half. I’m just saying, we didn’t execute. Like I have told you guys before, we execute at practice and that first half shows you that we can execute. As long as we can continue to make strides, I think that we will be OK.”
on the Bruins’ running game and what he sees right now
“We were one block away, one step away – the run game is not exactly where I need it to be, but it’s improving. I liked that [Jalen] Berger got in there, hand some runs, and Keegan [Jones] did too. T.J. [Harden] has always been a good runner. We’ve just got to continue to make strides in the run game. Our offense is just champing at the bit to get the opportunity to play again.”
on how much pass blocking and run blocking is technique or effort and attitude
“It’s a little bit of both, but it is a lot of want-to. When you are in there blocking, it’s just the want-to. You’ve got to want to keep that guy away from our quarterback. I’ll just try and watch this tape and dissect what is going on out there, and we should be able to fix this. Like I said last week, it’s still early in the season. We still have a few more games. I’m just excited that we can continue to play. If this were at the end of the season, I would be hurting a lot because we wouldn’t get an opportunity to show character. But after that type of a loss and the character that they showed and how resilient this team is, I’m excited for the future.”
on UCLA’s running game and what steps forward he has seen
“The stats might not say exactly what it did, but the run game helped us. It kept us ahead of the chains. The only time that we were really behind the chains were with penalties, holding, stuff like that, so the run game is getting there. It isn’t as easy as it seems, sometimes, but as long as my guys continue to fight and they want to get better, they will get better.”
on LSU not taking as many deep shots in the second half and how that could have helped them
“I think it was more that they were able to run the ball a little bit more. I’d say that. They kept us off balance a little bit. But we kept putting them out there. The offense still needs to do its job. It’s all three phases in this game, and our offense didn’t really do what it wanted to do in the second half. That will put a lot of burden on the defense.”
on LSU’s defensive line and handling the pass rush
“It was OK, but it could be better. Every phase can improve. When we watch this tape and get in there, we’ll see. You’ve got to learn from losses. This was a true learning experience.”
on how this road experience can help the team going forward (such as the Oct. 5 game at Penn State)
“They’re going to be ready. That was 100,00 out there. Those fans were into the game, especially early. Like I have said, it is a learning experience. They’re going to continue to learn, but with my team, they fight – that is all that I can ask for with my guys.”
on the emergence of players like Carter Shaw, Kwazi Gilmer, and Jalen Berger
“Most definitely. When you have players like that, it’s good to see them make plays, especially in this type of an environment – two freshmen in there able to play in front of 100,000. I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do for the rest of the season. And [Jalen] Berger has been in these types of situations. We already know that he is a season veteran.”
on what he has seen with Ethan Garbers’ improvement at quarterback
“Ethan has been improving in every game. It’s good that he can take shots. First off, he’s a tough kid. He gets out there and makes a lot of plays for us. I know that he might have thrown a pick towards the end of the game, but he is still out there fighting. He’s our leader and the guys follow him. I love the way he plays the game and approaches it, and hopefully he can stay healthy and keep going.”
UCLA senior quarterback Ethan Garbers
on how the team showed a lot fight, particularly in the first half, and what they were thinking at halftime
“We came out at halftime and we thought we had a really good chance to win this game, which we did. We got the ball back in the third quarter, and we needed to put a drive together. We just didn’t execute. Again, we were shooting ourselves in the foot in the second half. I am really proud of how the guys played in the first half. We really have got something to build on now, and some momentum offensively.
on the key to getting that momentum in the first half
“I think just our mindset was better. I mean, the whole week we had been talking about how there was no pressure on us to go out there and perform. We just needed to play free and play with no pressure. I mean, everyone was doing their job and everyone knew what to do and we were executing. So it seemed like it worked.”
on if he felt like his timing in the passing game was better today
“Yeah, definitely. I mean in the first half, we had something good going and we’ve got to work to sustain that for four quarters. We cannot just not score any points in the second half, it’s not going to be great. But we have just got to keep working and building on what we had today. We are going to keep our heads up.”
on if LSU did anything on defense in the second half to get him off his rhythm
“Yeah, they rushed the passer all night long. But coverage-wise, they played a little more zone. They are a great team and they’re going to go a long way. Hats off to them. But we have just got to be better.”
on how much more the Bruins need a more robust running game
“Yeah, I felt like we actually ran the ball pretty well against their front seven today. I know that all of the sack yardage is going to probably throw that back. But we did a decent job moving the line of scrimmage and gaining positive yards on runs. And yeah, that is just something else that we are building on. But a good run game is a quarterback’s best friend. We are still working on it and we are going to be better.”
on if he feels like this team can build upon this game today
“We are disappointed in the outcome. But I think with how we played in the first half versus a good LSU team like that, and an SEC team, I think that we are proud of that. But I’m not proud of how we finished. I am not proud of how we played in the second half.”
on some of the contributions he saw today from Carter Shaw and Kwazi Gilmer
“Yeah, it’s great, those young guys coming in and getting some game-time reps. I’ve just got to continue to work and build chemistry with them. I really like what Carter and Kwazi are doing. It’s just good if we can get guys rotating in there, getting fresh legs. I am really proud of those guys.”
UCLA redshirt junior linebacker Carson Schwesinger
on LSU sustaining drives in the second half and how they kept their drives alive
“Yeah, going into the second half, similar to what Ethan just said, we were going in needing to get a stop to start off. We built off that first half. We needed a little bit more communication from the defense and building on things like that. Obviously, teams are going to come out with adjustments. But we have to come out and adjust the same way, too.”
on LSU having some strong drives in substantial heat and a tough atmosphere
“I think that one of the things we want to do when we get on the field is to get back off the field and get the offense the ball back. The long drives and the heat, obviously, yeah, they can affect us but we are all playing in it. We have to keep our communication and keep our technique, assignment, alignment, technique and opponent on nose on those long drives to be able to get off the field.”
on how challenging it was to not get many tackles for loss in this game
“I think that in any football game, one of the things that we try and do is what we say is create havoc. That can be PBUs, interceptions, TFLs, and those are things that we are going to have to do moving forward to get off the field and to keep those drives from becoming those long drives that we had in that second half.”
on the team’s defense taking some positive steps forward
“Yeah, we have a lot of good football players on defense. I think that we are moving things around to see where we can get the best cohesive units, getting everyone in that can make impactful plays. How that changes, week to week, it’s really just us trying to get our best guys on the field.”