UCLA vs. LSU takeaways: Was not getting mauled by Tigers a sign of progress?

Was it a step forward or another stride to nowhere? Depends on one’s perspective.

Some might see UCLA’s 34-17 loss to No. 16 Louisiana State on Saturday as a reprieve, a setback that felt like a sign of something better to come. The team showed sustained fight one week after being knocked flat. The offense scored multiple touchdowns for the first time this season. A shorthanded defense kept things competitive despite failing to mount any semblance of a pass rush.

Others could question whether incremental improvement is enough in an era when coaches make millions, some players pocket CEO money and fans are asked to keep funding the whole operation, win or lose. UCLA was shut out in the second half by one of the weaker defenses it might face this season and is averaging 15.3 points per game, ranking No. 124 among 133 major college teams.

At some point, it’s indisputable that the Bruins (1-2) are going to need a breakthrough beyond moral victories to have something to sell to recruits and build donor support for the name, image and likeness funds needed to import high-level transfers.

Here are four takeaways from a loss that gave some hope and sunk others further into despair:

Garbers is a gamer

His jersey smudged with grass and even a hint of purple from the LSU defenders who kept smashing into him, Ethan Garbers never wavered under pressure.

The UCLA quarterback’s finest moment came late in the first half when he eluded the initial pass rush by stepping up and firing a touchdown pass to Logan Loya precisely at the moment that he absorbed a massive hit.

Garbers’ spectacular play was the primary reason the Bruins forged a halftime tie, but his being forced to play hero ball on an offense with no running game also has its drawbacks. Firing so many passes under pressure is going to lead to inevitable mistakes.

Read more: UCLA misses chance to change narrative on start of DeShaun Foster era in loss to LSU

The efficiency numbers are the worst of his career. Garbers has completed 56.7% of his passes while logging more interceptions (four) than touchdowns (three). He’s also lost two fumbles and had another against the Tigers that went for a 19-yard loss in the third quarter after right tackle Garrett DiGiorgio pounced on the ball.

Garbers has said his No. 1 goal this season is to play in every game, but that might not happen if he doesn’t get better protection. He’s been sacked eight times in three games and hurried an additional 10 times.

“It’s just the want-to, you’ve got to want to get in there and keep that guy away from our quarterback,” UCLA coach DeShaun Foster said of the blocking, “so after I watch this tape and really dissect what was going on out there, we should be able to fix this.”

In need of a rush

One reason that Garbers might have looked so good in practices since the spring is that he didn’t face much of a pass rush.

Since notching five sacks in the opener against Hawaii, UCLA has added none in its last two games against more stout offensive lines. The Bruins moved linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo to edge rusher against LSU and it paid a small dividend — Oladejo contributed one of the team’s three quarterback hurries — but did little to change the overall picture.

UCLA’s lack of a pass rush was a big reason the Tigers were able to sustain 96- and 92-yard drives in the second half to end the Bruins’ chances of an upset. LSU also converted 10 of 15 third downs, maintaining a worrisome trend for a UCLA defense that has allowed opponents to convert 23 of 41 chances (56.1%) in those situations, worst in the country.

More of that, please

There is hope in the running game. His name is Jalen Berger.

The transfer from Michigan State showed some burst in his three carries Saturday, one going for 13 yards. A bigger role could be just what the Bruins need to get going on the ground after Berger has fully rounded into form from the season-ending injury he sustained in his final year with the Spartans.

UCLA has averaged 60.3 rushing yards per game, ranking No. 131 in the country. Starter T.J. Harden has averaged 2.6 yards per carry and backup Keegan Jones a more robust 5.2 yards in only nine carries. But help for Garbers in moving the ball, it seems, is here.

“A good run game,” Garbers said, “is a quarterback’s best friend.”

Youth movement

Some baby Bruins are growing up.

True freshman Kwazi Gilmer made the catch of the day when he juggled a pass from Garbers and hauled it in for a 32-yard reception at LSU’s three-yard line late in the second quarter. Gilmer finished with two catches for a team-leading 61 yards.

Redshirt freshman Carter Shaw sparked UCLA’s final touchdown drive with a nine-yard run on a reverse.

“Two freshmen coming in there and they’re able to play in front of 100,000,” Foster said, referring to the crowd at Tiger Stadium. “I’m looking forward to what they can do for the rest of the season.”

Not to be outdone, redshirt sophomore Brody Richter averaged 49.2 yards on his four punts, including a 61-yarder. He also pinned the Tigers inside their 10-yard line three times.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.