One year removed from the Pac-12 and the Chip Kelly era, the UCLA Bruins’ 2024 campaign was far from desired. In its debut season in the Big Ten, the decorated program went 5-7 (3-6 conference record) and had its first losing season since 2020.
Aside from better competition in its new conference, the Bruins were also left with a first-year head coach DeShaun Foster at the helm.
Was DeShaun Foster a quality hire for the UCLA Bruins?
Foster started his season strong with an opening-week win on the road against Hawaii, but he would string together five consecutive losses to notable teams such as Indiana, No. 16 LSU, No. 8 Oregon and No. 7 Penn State. Through six weeks, the Bruins were outscored by 84 points and lost by a net average of nearly 17.5 points. It was fair to say that its 1-5 start to the season ultimately ended any hopes of a third straight bowl appearance.
Despite a rough stretch and the second-hardest strength of schedule in the nation (9.2) , Foster and the Bruins eventually found their rhythm and closed out the final six games with a 4-2 record.
“I’m going to put all my passion into this,” Foster said in Feb. 2024 after being named the 18th head coach in Bruins football history. “I’m here for these boys. I’m going to get this team playing hard. … We are going to get this Rose Bowl back to how it needs to be. We are in LA. We are UCLA, we win banners in every sport. I just have to get football back and I promise I’m the man to do this.”
Though his first year was not ideal and UCLA Bruins fans are reminiscing the Jim Mora days, Foster has four more years left on his five-year, $16 million deal to deliver his promise.
Until then, the Blue and Gold have major work to get done before considering a Rose Bowl appearance.
The Bruins’ offense was worryingly one-dimensional
The 2024 season may not be appealing to the average viewer, but the Bruins did have bright spots that helped aid a strong second half.
Quarterback Ethan Garbers managed his largest workload since becoming a Bruin in 2021. The senior had career-high numbers all across the board, completing 235 passes (seventh in the Big Ten) on 363 attempts with 2,727 passing yards (eighth) and 16 touchdowns (ninth). However, in queue with the Bruins season, Garbers’ highs were followed by lows. The former four-star recruit threw 11 interceptions and was sacked 32 times — both career worsts.
Garbers led UCLA to being a top 10 passing offense in the conference, but the lack of offensive consistency and fire-power kept the Bruins bottom four in both points (18.4) and yards (328.8) per game.
The California-bred quarterback did have flashes of pro-ready-play with seven games above 250 yards passing, with his best outing coming against Rutgers where he threw for 383 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-32 win.
💥 32/38 CMP
💥 431 total yds
💥 5 total TDEthan Garbers had a career day in @UCLAFootball's Week 8 win at Rutgers 👇 #B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/4dJqgT4nAD
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 20, 2024
However, in its 12 games, UCLA shied away from the run more than it ever has, only attempting 338 rushes — the lowest the program has seen in decades. Not only did Foster lean on Garbers and his passing attack, the Bruins were the least efficient team in the Big Ten in rush plays, averaging 3.0 yards per carry.
Though it should be noted that the Blue and Gold found themselves trailing more times than not, the lack of urgency to establish a run game will make it difficult to win games, and the 2024 season was a prime example.
In years past, the Bruins have heavily relied on their ground attack, producing both 1,000-yard and multiple 500-yard rushers in single seasons. However, it’s obvious that Foster had a different philosophy and looked to win games through the air despite making an NFL career as a rusher.
Nonetheless, junior running back, T.J. Harden led the backfield with 124 carries for 506 yards and two touchdowns in what was a down year for the homegrown talent. Meanwhile, tight end Moliki Matavao was the primary target for Garbers as the senior hauled in 41 catches for 506 yards and two touchdowns in 2024.
Should 2024 be considered a failure for UCLA?
With having a new head coach, a new conference and one of the most difficult schedules, the Bruins have overcame a lot this past season to get to where they stand now. Yes, the result is not what the program nor the fans hoped for, but it is a necessary stepping stone to get to their desired goal.
“We would love to be in a bowl game, but it’s unfortunate that we came up a game short,” Foster said after UCLA’s final game of the season. “A lot of things didn’t go the way [I] wanted it to go, but you have to stay patient. You have to stay positive. … I’m looking forward to this offseason, building the roster.”
Foster will have a lot on his plate as he heads towards Spring camp, but a 5-7 record in his debut year should not yet warrant major concern heading forward. If Foster and UCLA were to be given a grade on their 2024 season, a C- should be more than fair for the output they produced.
Eric H
Eric is a lifelong Angeleno and a sports journalist who graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. He joined The League Winners in January of 2025, and is the lead beat writer for the UCLA Bruins. Follow Eric on X (formerly known as Twitter) @EricHayrapetian.