It was a nightmare of an afternoon for Rutgers as it dropped its third straight game following a 35-32 loss to UCLA. The Scarlet Knights allowed 478 yards of total offense.
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The Scarlet Knights (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten) had no answers for UCLA quarterback EJ Garbers as the redshirt senior had a career day, passing 32-for-38 for 383 yards and four touchdowns. He also got it done with his legs as he avoided an attempted tackle from Desmond Igbinosun and ran 49 yards for a touchdown to put UCLA ahead 14-7 with 2:43 left in the second quarter. The play capped off a 10-play, 91-yard drive.
Rutgers' offense did its best to keep it in the game as it finished with 422 total yards with Athan Kaliakmanis throwing for a season-high 287 yards on 18-for-30 passing and recording his first rushing touchdown of the season. Kyle Monangai finished with 19 carries for 106 yards and three touchdowns, including a five-yard touchdown run to cut UCLA's lead to 35-25 with 10:35 remaining in the fourth quarter. The score moved him into eighth all-time in program history with 23 career rushing touchdowns, tying Homer Hazel and Albert Smith. Monangai also passed Brian Leonard for fifth in all-time career rushing yards.
The Bruins (2-5, 1-4 Big Ten) had an answer for every punch though as Garbers hit Jalen Berger for a nine-yard touchdown pass to take a 35-19 lead with 12:13 remaining in the game. The play capped off a 10-play, 70-yard drive.
The Scarlet Knights cut it to a 35-32 game with 1:45 remaining following a one-yard touchdown run from Monangai, but it was too little too late as the Bruins recovered the onside kick to close the game out.
KJ Duff led Rutgers through the air with three catches for 82 yards while Ian Strong had three receptions for 71 yards. Dymere Miller recorded five catches for 70 yards.
Keegan Jones led UCLA offensively with five catches for 114 yards and one touchdown while Moliki Matavao had six receptions for 104 yards. Titus Mokiao-Atimala recorded five catches for 54 yards while TJ Harden had five catches for 34 yards and a score.
Rutgers came out halftime with a five-play, 75-yard drive capped off with a six-yard rushing touchdown from Monangai to make it 21-16 with 12:45 remaining in the third quarter.
Jai Patel added a 35-yard field goal to cut it to a 21-19 game with 5:41 remaining in the third quarter. UCLA responded two plays later though with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Garbers to Jones to take a 28-19 lead with 4:53 left in the quarter.
It was about as brutal a first half defensively as Rutgers could have imagined as UCLA compiled 300 yards of offense with Garbers going 21-for-25 for 224 yards and two touchdowns. The Bruins completed 16 first downs on 38 plays and were 4-for-6 on third down and 1-for-1 on fourth.
Rutgers cut into the lead with a 49-yard field goal from Patel to make it 14-10 with 1:08 left in the half. UCLA fired back quickly though, with a seven-play, 75-yard drive finished off with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Garbers to Harden to take a 21-10 lead with 22 seconds remaining.
UCLA opened the game with an 11-play, 75-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead with 9:03 remaining in the first quarter. The Bruins also completed five first downs on the drive. Rutgers answered though with an 8-play, 75-yard drive capped off with a one-yard sneak from Kaliakmanis to tie the game with 4:43 left in the quarter. Kaliakmanis went 3-for-3 on the drive for 63 yards, including a 42-yard pass to Ian Strong and a 17-yarder to Dymere Miller.
UCLA had seven different receivers record a catch in the first half with Matavao leading the way with four receptions for 59 yards. Jones also tallied four catches for 47 yards while Mokiao-Atimala had four receptions for 46 yards.
Harden recorded four catches for 34 yards and a score while Logan Loya 's five-yard touchdown reception gave UCLA a 7-0 lead.
Kaliakmanis finished the half 7-for-12 for 121 yards and a rushing touchdown while Strong had three catches for 71 yards. Kyle Monangai recorded seven carries for 33 yards.
Rutgers' defense struggled in the opening quarter as it allowed 133 yards with Garbers going 11-for-13 for 104 yards. The Bruins also finished with eight first downs.
RFootball Play of the Day: Kyle Monangai fights his way into the endzone to cut Rutgers' deficit to 21-16 with 12:45 remaining in the third quarter.
Up next: Rutgers will head to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to face USC on Friday at 11 p.m. (ET) on Fox.
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