Sports
Will Ethan Garbers play for UCLA vs. Penn State? 'He's going to try'
Already nearly four-touchdown underdogs against Penn State, UCLA might not have liked where oddsmakers moved the betting line had they watched the team’s first practice of the week.
Starting quarterback Ethan Garbers was not on the field for the beginning of the Monday evening session. The only quarterbacks in non-scout team jerseys were backups Justyn Martin and Nick Billoups, who have combined to throw five passes at the college level.
But there could be a comeback story developing before the Bruins (1-3 overall, 0-2 Big Ten) kick off against the seventh-ranked Nittany Lions (4-0, 1-0) on Saturday at Beaver Stadium.
UCLA coach DeShaun Foster said that Garbers, who was sidelined for the final nine minutes of the Bruins’ loss to Oregon last weekend with an unspecified injury, told him that he expected to play against Penn State.
“Unless we hold him out,” Foster said, “he’s going to try to get out there and play.”
Garbers exited the Oregon game after absorbing four sacks and limping his way around the field for much of the second half. After his final play, in which he was walloped in the end zone, Garbers appeared to briefly hold the back of his head.
Foster said he wanted Garbers to rest Monday so that Martin could get extra practice repetitions in case Garbers isn’t available Saturday. Garbers spent the early portion of the Tuesday morning practice that was open to the media riding an exercise bike on the edge of the practice field.
UCLA’s other options Saturday could be described as in like-new condition. Martin, a redshirt sophomore, has appeared in two games this season, completing two of five passes for 12 yards.
Billoups, a transfer who spent the last three seasons at Brigham Young after one season at Utah, has not thrown a pass in a college game. Foster said freshman Henry Hasselbeck, the son of former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, would be the next in line to play after Martin and Billoups.
Foster said Garbers was “in good spirits,” adding that he was eager to see what the quarterback could do later in the week. It’s been a tough start to 2024 for Garbers, who has faced constant pressure and struggled to find a rhythm during his first season in new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s pro-style scheme.
The fifth-year senior has completed a career-low 57.3% of his passes for 808 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions.
After replacing Garbers two plays into the Bruins’ final drive against Oregon, Martin completed one of four passes for seven yards. It was the first significant playing time at the college level for the dual-threat quarterback who once said he could hurdle defenders better than former Bruin counterpart Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
“It’s just good to get some of the young quarterbacks that haven’t played in games just live reps,” Foster said. “I think he handled it pretty well and hopefully we can build on that for Justyn.”
Too soon to quit?
UCLA coach DeShaun Foster watches from the sideline during the final seconds of the Bruins’ loss to Oregon on Saturday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
UCLA was holding onto slim comeback hopes when it punted in the fourth quarter of its last two games.
Trailing by 17 points against Louisiana State, the Bruins punted with 4½ minutes left. Down by 21 points against Oregon, the Bruins punted with slightly less than seven minutes to play.
Noting that his team faced identical fourth-and-10 situations at its own 41-yard line in each instance, Foster said those punts were a reflection of an offense that wasn’t getting the job done, not capitulation.
“Just because you punt, that’s not saying that you’re giving up because we haven’t given up in any of the games that we’ve played,” Foster said. “One thing I can say is that these guys are playing hard no matter what, so it’s not a giving up situation. If my team is still playing well and they’re playing hard, then yeah, but if offensively we’re not moving the ball well enough, then I’m not going to put them in a situation just to try to get the first down.”
Etc.
Foster said left tackle Reuben Unije was injured against Oregon, and Unije did not appear to be on the field during the early part of practice open to reporters Monday. Jaylan Jeffers and Niki Prongos alternated at left tackle in Unije’s absence against the Ducks. … UCLA received non-binding verbal commitments from twin brothers Jaron and Kennan Pula of Timpview High in Provo, Utah. Jaron is a junior wide receiver and Kennan a junior safety. They are the second and third players to commit to the Bruins from the Class of 2026, joining Santa Margarita wide receiver Jonah Smith. … UCLA’s game against Minnesota on Oct. 12 at the Rose Bowl will kick off at 6 p.m. and air on Big Ten Network.
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An internet rumor swirled last week that a longtime NFL reporter had died at the age of 40.
News of Jane Slater’s supposed death on social media, but she was quick to shut it down.
An X user posted a screenshot of a post on Facebook that showed Slater in black and white with the graphic “1980-2025” saying she had died at 40. Slater, 45, was born in 1980, but the years written in the post would mean she died at either age 44 or 45.
NFL Network sideline reporter Jane Slater stands on the sidelines prior to an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Chicago Bears, at Soldier Field on Dec. 26, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
“A veteran reporter who covered the Dallas Cowboys—having followed the team for over a decade—has passed away at the age of 40 after a tragic domestic violence incident, leaving behind a 5-year-old child. Her years of dedicated work, along with the heartbreaking circumstances surrounding her death, have left loyal fans stunned, devastated, and praying for her and her family,” the post read.
The user asked Slater, “did you pass away??”
Jane Slater speaks with T.Y. Hilton of the Dallas Cowboys after the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 24, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
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“I don’t think so? But does this mean there is (a) glitch in the matrix? I’m gonna wrap myself in bubble wrap until NYE,” Slater joked.
If there is one thing the Facebook post got correct, it’s that Slater does mainly cover the Cowboys for the NFL Network.
NFL Network reporter Jane Slater on the sideline prior to an NFC Wild Card Playoff game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium on Jan. 16, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
Prior to joining in 2016, Slater worked for ESPN and the Longhorn Network, having attended the University of Texas. She also hosted a radio show in Dallas.
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Tennis legend Venus Williams wed Danish model and actor Andrea Preti over the weekend in Florida, the new bride announced in a shared post.
An Instagram post from Vogue Magazine’s Weddings section announced the nuptials, with the message garnering more than 30,000 likes as of Tuesday afternoon.
“We all love each other so much,” Williams, 45, said in the Vogue post. “It was just the happiest, most beautiful, sweetest day.”
The post was scant on details other than the event took place over five days in and around the couple’s home in Palm Beach Gardens.
An email for comment to representatives for Williams and Preti, 37, was not immediately returned.
The couple met at 2024 Milan Fashion Week and began texting shortly after, according to Vogue.
The couple eventually became engaged on Jan. 31 in Tuscany, according to Vogue. That detail was confirmed in July during what was a historic month for Williams.
The Compton native defeated 23-year-old Peyton Sterns 6-3, 6-4 in the first round action of the D.C. Open after a 16-month hiatus from singles matches.
In victory, Williams became the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match, trailing only fellow legend Martina Navratilova, who was 47 when she won in 2004.
“Yes, my fiance is here, and he really encouraged me to keep playing,” Williams told the Tennis Channel’s Rennae Stubbs in a post-match interview. “There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and kind of chill. … He encouraged me to get through this, and it’s wonderful [for him] to be here. He’s never seen me play.”
Preti has written, acted and directed in a handful of films, primarily in Italy.
The wedding was the second for the couple, who also held a ceremony in Italy in September.
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As Philip Rivers has shown he could still tear up the NFL at age 44, American Olympic legend Lindsey Vonn has also proven that age is just a number.
Vonn, 41, qualified for the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, Team USA announced on Tuesday. It will be the fifth Winter Olympics that she competes in.
United States’ Lindsey Vonn reacts at the finish area of an alpine ski, women’s World Cup downhill, in Val D’Isere, France, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)
Vonn had an impressive run at the World Cup in France over the weekend. She was third in super-G, hitting a high speed of 71 mph. It was her second consecutive podium finish after she was third in downhill. It was the 142nd podium finish in her World Cup career.
“I am honored to be able to represent my country one more time, in my 5th and final Olympics!” she wrote in a post on Instagram. “When I made the decision to return to ski racing, I always had one eye on Cortina because it’s a place that is very, very special to me. Although I can’t guarantee any outcomes, I can guarantee that I will give my absolute best every time l kick out of the starting gate. No matter how these games end up, I feel like I’ve already won.
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United States’ Lindsey Vonn celebrates on the podium after taking third place in an alpine ski, women’s World Cup downhill, in Val D’Isere, France, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)
“I am grateful for how the season has gone so far, but I am just getting started. See you in Cortina!”
Vonn has already put together an enviable career in skiing.
She won a gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver Games and two bronze medals in Pyeongchang in 2018. She’s also taken home two gold, three silver and two bronze medals in the World Championships.
The Minnesota native also has 83 World Cup wins and several International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) Crystal Globes.
Notably, she’s back competing for gold after being away from the sport for five years.
Austria’s Cornelia Huetter, left, winner of an alpine ski, women’s World Cup downhill, celebrates on the podium with second-placed Germany’s Kira Weidle Winkelmann, left, and third-placed United States’ Lindsey Vonn, in Val D’Isere, France, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)
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The Winter Olympics will begin on Feb. 6 and run through Feb. 22.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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