UCLA QB Ethan Garbers describes his excitement to face USC as a local kid

When UCLA and USC meet this week a lot will be on the line for both teams. Bowl eligibility, for one.

But there will also be a lot of pride at stake, said UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers, who hails from Newport Beach, Calif.

“It means a lot. Being a kid from southern California, growing up watching this game, watching the history of it, it means a lot,” Garbers said this week. “I have a lot of friends back home who their parents went to the other school, and a bunch of rah rah and stuff like that. But I’m just excited to play.”

Garbers has been quite good for UCLA of late, throwing for 10 touchdowns against just two interceptions in his last four games. He is coming off a 267-yard, two-touchdown outing in a loss to Washington.

When he’s been on, he’s been capable of pulling the team to wins. See his 383-yard, four-touchdown day in a win over Rutgers on the road.

This one on Saturday isn’t just about Garbers, though. The whole UCLA team wants to get one over on the cross-town rivals.

“Yeah every time we play that team across town it’s personal for everyone on the team,” Garbers said. “It’s a huge week for us and we’re just excited to go out there and play.”

So what’s the approach for UCLA? Is it hype everything up and treat it as a huge game? Or take it as just the next opponent and take care of business that way?

“We just treat it like any other week, honestly,” Garbers said. “We’ve had a long season so far and we’re just treating it like we would any other week.”

There’s also another chip in the back pocket for UCLA. They’ve already been here, done that once. The team won 38-20 a year ago.

In that contest, Garbers went 18-of-31 passing for 155 yards and three touchdowns, all without an interception. That helps.

“Just the confidence and just the experience from already playing in one of these games and knowing what it takes to get a W,” he noted. “Definitely that helps.”