Five things to watch as the DeShaun Foster era begins at UCLA

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Greetings, Big Ten.

Hello, the start of something special?

UCLA will embark on new beginnings galore when it faces Hawaii at 4:30 p.m. PDT Saturday at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu. It’s the debut for the Bruins’ football coach and the team’s first game after officially ditching the Pac-12.

The question is whether any of it will lead to fresh results for a program that has been frozen in frustration since Foster ran free like a kid on Waikiki Beach when he played for the Bruins more than two decades ago.

Answers may not be immediately forthcoming. UCLA is a two-touchdown favorite against a team that struggled to beat Delaware State in its opener last weekend, pulling away with 21 unanswered points in the second half.

A resounding triumph over a team the Bruins have beaten in all four meetings may not mean much besides making their record against Hawaii, well, Five-O. But whatever happens could provide some clues as to how this team will fare under its new coach.

Here are five things to watch in the Bruins’ season opener, which will be broadcast in the Los Angeles area by Channel 2:

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Nervous time

DeShaun Foster stands on the sideline during a game while working as the UCLA running backs coach

Just like before his first high school game and his first college game as a running back, Foster acknowledged he expected some jitters before his first game as coach.

“I’m sure I’ll have them Friday night, the night before, or it might even happen as I’m running out” before kickoff, Foster said. “But it’s gonna happen.”

The difference between the nerves he experienced then and now, Foster said, is that he could more directly control the outcome as a player than as a coach. Asked whom he would model his pregame speech after, Foster jokingly referenced the coach portrayed by Al Pacino in “Any Given Sunday.”

“Do your job!” Foster imitated before turning serious. “Mostly it’s gonna come from the heart. That’s me. You know, I gotta speak how I feel and just come and be genuine.”

Foster isn’t the only coach finding his bearings on a staff with six new assistants and two holdovers, Ikaika Malloe and Jerry Neuheisel, moving into different positions.

There will be as much to assess on the sideline as on the field. Can Eric Bieniemy’s offense be mastered quickly by players who acknowledged struggling to learn the names of plays? Can Malloe’s defense be anywhere near as good as predecessor D’Anton Lynn’s? Can Juan Castillo get the offensive line to adequately protect quarterback Ethan Garbers?

“We have high expectations for what we want to get done,” said Malloe, who will be running a defense for the first time since he was Washington’s co-defensive coordinator during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. “We won’t know until the pads come on Saturday” whether they’re successful.

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He’s the guy

UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers celebrates after leading his team to a bowl win.

Unlike last year, when he entered the season in an awkward platoon with Dante Moore, Garbers has the assurance that he won’t lose his status as the starter if he throws a couple of bad passes.

This is his team and it’s only going to go as far as he can take it.

After displaying a newfound swagger in spring practices and preseason training camp, Garbers must show he can deliver his strong part-time performance last season on a full-time basis.

He’s got plenty of momentum after coming off the bench to throw for 155 yards and three touchdowns as part of a comeback victory over Boise State in the LA Bowl. He’s eager to roll up even bigger numbers while running Bieniemy’s West Coast offense.

“It’s a lot of fun for quarterbacks,” Garbers said, “and you guys will be able to see that when we start playing some games.”

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Paradise lost?

Hawaii quarterback Brayden Schager scrambles against Vanderbilt during the 2023 season.

Hawaii’s offense couldn’t run nor shoot before quarterback Brayden Schager salvaged what looked like a possible upset loss to Delaware State in the Rainbow Warriors’ opener.

With the score tied early in the third quarter, Schager led three scoring drives on the way to a reasonably comfortable victory. Schager finished with two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns, impressing Foster with his dual-threat capabilities.

“He ran a lot more in this game,” Foster said, “than he did last season.”

One name on Hawaii’s roster should sound familiar to UCLA fans. Wide receiver Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala is the brother of Bruins wide receiver Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, which might come as news to the broadcasters who irritated UCLA players by repeatedly calling the Hawaii receiver “Titus” last weekend.

“I said, ‘That’s not Titus!’ ” Garbers said of his reaction while watching the game.

Titus will make his first appearance since late in the 2022 season after sitting out last season for unspecified reasons.

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Moving on up

Notre Dame wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. runs after catching the ball against Pittsburgh on Oct. 28 in South Bend, Ind.

There was one surprise in the depth chart that UCLA released this week: Rico Flores Jr., a sophomore transfer from Notre Dame, was listed ahead of veteran Logan Loya at slot receiver.

Flores had been one of the standouts of training camp, impressing with his playmaking and maturity. Last season, he ranked second among Fighting Irish players with 27 catches totaling 392 yards, including eight catches for 102 yards against Wake Forest.

“Rico just came out and had a really good spring and followed that up with a great camp,” Foster said. “Logan’s rotating in with the starters so it’s not like he’s not a starter, but he’s rotating in and there’s probably a good chance that he might get more snaps than some of the other guys” at slot receiver.

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Welcome back

UCLA receiver Titus Mokiao-Atimalala will be returning to his home state when the Bruins play at Hawaii on Saturday.

This will be a homecoming for four players and two coaches with Hawaiian roots.

Malloe grew up on the island of Oahu and safeties coach Brian Norwood played cornerback and safety at Hawaii. Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, linebacker Mone Malufu, offensive lineman Tavake Tuikolovatu and defensive lineman Sitiveni Havili Kaufusi also have ties to the islands.

“I’m super excited for Titus,” Garbers said. “He’s one of my good friends, and I know he doesn’t really get to see his family a lot and it’s gonna be awesome. I think he has a bunch of people coming to the game.”