Chip Kelly explains why Ethan Garbers played for UCLA

Ethan Garbers got the start for UCLA in the 42-7 win over Stanford Saturday and Chip Kelly explained why he opted for him over freshman Dante Moore.

Both have started games this season but it seems like the quarterback battle, if it is one, hasn’t really settled. However Kelly and his staff are managing the position, it seems to be working as the team is 5-2 through seven games.

But Garbers was simply the healthier quarterback going into the week.

“Ethan’s done everything well since he’s been here, so it’s not just last week,” Kelly said. “It was at the beginning of the week, Ethan got a lot more reps in practice because Dante was banged up over the course of the week, so we decided we were gonna go with Ethan.”

Garbers finished 20-of-28 passing for 240 yards and two touchdowns. Moore entered the game late and went four-of-five passing for 26 yards.

In total this season Garbers is 31-of-46 passing for 374 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions and a 67.4% completion percentage.

“If you watched the game (Dante) played, so he got really good towards the end of the week,” Kelly said. “So you know, you play those three games that we played in a row, it can take a toll on you physically, you know, playing Utah, playing Oregon and Washington State. But he’s back, he’s still going. 

“You know, we’re one of the fortunate teams in the country that (has good depth at quarterback). I believe Ethan’s a starter at the Power Five level and Dante’s a starter at the Power Five level … that’s a (luxury) not a lot of people have.”

Over the course of his freshman season, Moore is 87-of-168 passing (51.8%) for 1,330 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Moore threw three interceptions during his last start. But Kelly isn’t worried about the young gun’s confidence.

“I think that’s part of Dante’s makeup,” Kelly said. “I think he’s a very resilient young man. He’s mature beyond most kids of that age. He’s still an 18-year-old kid, 18-year-old young man.”

In the 36-24 loss to Oregon State, Dante Moore completed just 14 out of 33 pass attempts for 165 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions. Going into the Colorado game, it isn’t set whether Garbers or Moore will get the start.

“But I think that’s one of the things,” Kelly said. “He’s got a great set of intangibles. He’s a really, really resilient person. I think he has the ability to live in the present. He doesn’t live in the past. He doesn’t live in the future. He lives in the present and that’s a really special quality for people to have. So, I think it’s something in every situation he learns and he’ll grow from it.”