One of the best college linebackers in the nation, UCLA's Carson Schhwesinger tackles USC running back Woody Marks during a game last month (11/23) at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins won their last game of the season against Fresno State on November 30.
The UCLA Bruins football team used a strong defense to win their final game of the regular season last Saturday, defeating the Fresno State Bulldogs, 20-13 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. With the win, the Bruins finished the season at 5-7 and broke a six-game losing streak to the Bulldogs.
Fresno State finished the season with a 6-6 record and is bowl eligible. The Bruins held the Bulldogs to 13 points and 281 yards of offense. Fresno State threw 45 passes and ran the ball just 13 times. To no one's surprise, UCLA and Fresno State, two of the worst rushing teams in the nation, both threw a lot of passes. UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers threw 40 passes, completing 26 for 289 yards and a touchdown. The Bruins rushed 32 times for 74 yards, a 2.3 yards per carry average.
The Bruins had a 6-0 lead in the second quarter on a pair of Mateen Bhaghani field goals. UCLA could have had more but kept committing penalties. On the first offensive drive of the game, the Bruins had three false start penalties. The drive ended in Fresno State territory, but the Bruins were forced to punt due to the penalties.
Fresno State took a 10-6 halftime lead on a 7-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Mikey Keene to wide receiver Raylen Sharpe and a 48-yard field goal to end the half by kicker Dylan Lynch. The Bruins took the lead for good in third quarter on a TJ Harden 5-yard touchdown.
Garbers, playing in his final game as a Bruin, threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant with just 1:36 left in the game, giving the Bruins the Bruins a 20-10 lead. The Bulldogs added a late field goal to cut the lead to 20-13. The onside kick failed, and the Bruins ran out the clock for the victory.
The Bruins won four of their final six games after a rough 1-5 start under first year head coach DeShaun Foster. According to the ESPN strength of schedule (SOS) rankings, the Bruins ranked 13th in SOS. It was a tough schedule for this UCLA team.
"In each game, we came out and nobody can say that we quit," Foster said. "Especially with the type of season that we had. I know that there are a lot of other teams where people are opting out of their last game, and you know, I had 42 seniors and every last one of them played in this game. They were excited to play in it. I'm just glad that we were able to go out on the right foot, get into this offseason, but more or less, I was just glad that we were able to send our seniors off the correct way."
The Bruins were led on defense, as usual, by junior linebacker Carson Schwesinger and senior linebacker Kain Medrano. Schwesinger had 15 tackles, 11 of them solo, with 1 sack, knocking down a pass on defense and he also blocked a punt. Medrano had 8 tackles, 7 of them solo tackles, had three tackles for loss, one sack, and one pass defended.
Schwesinger was named first-team All-Big Ten at linebacker by the coaches and Medrano was named third-team All-Big Ten by the coaches. For Medrano, it was the final game of his UCLA career. For Schwesinger, he needs to decide if he will return to UCLA in 2025 or head to the NFL. This is Schwesinger's only season as a starter and the recommendation from the NFL would probably be to play another season at UCLA.
Schwesinger is also a finalist for the Butkus award, which is given annually to the top linebacker in college football. There are five finalists, and it would appear that statistically Schwesinger should win the award. Scwesinger leads the nation in solo tackles with 90 and is 3rd in the nation in total tackles with 136. Below are the stats for the five finalists for the Butkus award:
Carson Schwesinger: 136 tackles, 90 solo, 8 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble, one blocked punt.
Barrett Carter (Clemson): 68 tackles, 34 solo,10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovered.
Danny Stutsman (Oklahoma): 110 tackles, 44 solo, 8 tackles for loss, 1 sack.
Jalon Walker (Georgia): 55 tackles, 33 solo, 8 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 2 fumbles recovered.
Chris Paul Jr. (Ole Miss): 88 tackles, 50 solo, 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered.
Schwesinger's teammate and coaches all believe he should win the award. "Turn the tape on," Medrano said. "That's all I've got to say. You've seen my man, he's out there balling. Every play is 100 percent. If you turn the tape on you should be able to see who's going to win that award."
Foster added that, "Carson [Schwesinger] had 15 tackles, and that is probably the Butkus winner. You guys see him at practice. You see how he has played in every game. You know that he didn't start those first three games, and he still leads the nation in tackles. It was just a testament to what type of player he is – a former walk-on. And we probably shouldn't even be saying that because he's most definitely a scholarship player, but that's just where he started. If he leaves, that is somebody who is going to be missed. He's most definitely put his stamp on this program."
The Bruins offseason has officially started, and it did not take long for a few UCLA players to hit the transfer portal. Running back Harden, backup quarterback Justyn Martin, and wide receiver Logan Loya have decided to enter the transfer portal. It will be a long offseason before the Bruins next game on Saturday, August 30, 2025, against the Utah Utes at the Rose Bowl.
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