UCLA football has something to prove in season opener at Hawai’i

The UCLA football team’s long-awaited season opener against Hawai’i is here. Head coach DeShaun Foster has talked about the emotions leading up to the game – mostly comparing it to the anxious excitement on the night before his first varsity game – for weeks.

Saturday’s matchup at Hawai’i (4:30 p.m., CBS Ch. 2) will preface the Big Ten travel schedule that the Bruins will experience in their first year in the conference. The game is highly anticipated as Foster begins writing his own chapter in UCLA football lore as a first-year head coach.

“My players know how bad I want to win this game,” he said.

It will be the debut of a new offense that the coaching staff has dropped hints about throughout fall training camp as well as a revamped defense with only two returning starters.

Ethan Garbers leads first-year offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s scheme after securing the role of starting quarterback in the fall. He’s confident heading into this season and has become an unquestionable leader on the team.

“We’ve done a great job, starting in the spring with Coach Bieniemy coming in and then working all the way through fall camp, working until now,” Garbers said. “Everyone is real confident and a lot of the guys have been studying very hard and we have a good grasp of this offense.”

On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe is from the islands and has expressed respect for what Rainbow Warriors head coach Timmy Chang has accomplished as a coach and player. Chang, who took over the program in January 2022, set all-time NCAA records in passing and total offense when he played at Hawai’i, then went on to have a three-year professional career.

Malloe says Foster’s three pillars of discipline, respect and enthusiasm are still guiding the Bruins months after they were first introduced in the spring.

“We have discipline, which means that we can do our assignments to the best of our ability,” Malloe said. “We have respect for this game but for each other, in terms of them doing their responsibility. And then we gotta have a lot of fun – the enthusiasm part.

“If we can live by the pillars, I think that always gives us a shot, but the pillars aren’t as easy as it sounds.”

When Hawaii has the ball

The Rainbow Warriors are coming off a 35-14 victory over Delaware State in which quarterback Brayden Schager produced 249 yards of total offense. He completed 17 of 34 passes for 203 yards and no interceptions while rushing for another 38 yards and two touchdowns.

“He is the leader of that team, let alone the offense,” Malloe said. “Brayden is special. If we can just contain him and somehow, some way, keep him in the pocket, I think that would give us a chance.”

Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala, whose brother Titus is a receiver for UCLA, scored on an 11-yard pass from Schager to open the scoring and had 30 receiving yards. Profele Ashlock was Hawai’i’s leading receiver with 81 yards on five catches.

Producing a pass rush will be key for UCLA. Malloe said he’d like to deploy eight pass rushers in the game, then keep in the players who are being most productive. A strong linebacking corps of starters Kain Medrano, Oluwafemi Oladejo and Ale Kaho could prove valuable.

When UCLA has the ball

Garbers followed up an offensive MVP performance at the LA Bowl by winning the fall’s quarterback battle and taking the helm of Bieniemy’s offense. Justyn Martin was listed as the backup on the two-deep depth chart released Monday.

J.Michael Sturdivant, Rico Flores Jr. and Titus Mokiao-Atimalala will start at receiver, with Moliki Matavao at tight end, against a Hawai’i defense that gave up 156 passing yards against Delaware State.

Five different players recorded a sack last week for Hawai’i. Jamih Otis was its leading tackler with 11 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, a sack and a QB hurry.

T.J. Harden will likely receive the majority of carries if UCLA decides to focus on its rushing attack. Harden recovered from a slow start in spring training to have a fall camp that impressed the coaching staff and earned him a starting spot at halfback.

UCLA (0-0) at Hawai’i (1-0)

When: 4:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Clarence T.C. Ching Complex, Honolulu

TV/Radio: CBS Ch. 2