Sep 263 min read

No. 8 Ducks Use Bye Week to Prepare for UCLA

The No. 8 Oregon Ducks (3-0) will travel to Los Angeles to face off with the UCLA Bruins (1-2, 0-1 Big Ten Conference) at 11 p.m. EST on Sept. 28. UCLA first-year head coach Deshaun Foster is off to a rough 1-2 start and is coming off a 34-17 loss last weekend against No. 14 LSU (3-1). The Ducks are coming off a bye week following their convincing week three victory against Oregon State (3-1).

What's at Stake?

The Ducks have championship aspirations at stake considering they are off to a 3-0 start. Oregon's first two games were closer than expected, but they seemed to have figured things out in Week 3. UCLA is rebuilding under Foster in his first season following the Chip Kelly era. The Bruins did not have high expectations going into this season, so there isn't a ton at stake outside of bragging rights in a long-time West Coast rivalry. UCLA currently leads the all-time rivalry, 39-22. However, Oregon has dominated as of late by holding a four-game win streak dating back to 2018.

Key Players: Oregon Ducks

Offense: Jordan James, RB

Quarterbacks have seen a ton of success against UCLA thus far. That may be why we haven't seen a huge rushing game against the Bruins so far. While the yards per attempt haven't been bad per se against the Bruins, there has yet to be a single rusher to break 65 yards on the ground. Oregon should challenge that with James and their offensive line. James could be a key component against the Bruins.

Defense: Jeffrey Bassa , LB

This game is a huge opportunity for Bassa to show his leadership. He has been sidelined more than expected to start the season with a minor injury, leading to Bryce Boettcher's increase in snaps. While Boettcher has been a bright spot, there is no reason for Bassa not to be out there. UCLA's offense has yet to break 20 points, so this will be a team effort for the Ducks. They could use their leader out there in assistance.

Key Players: UCLA Bruins

Offense: T.J. Harden, RB

UCLA's rushing attack has been poor thus far. Harden has 28 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown this season, averaging 2.6 yards per carry. For UCLA to succeed against the Ducks, they will need a breakout game from their junior running back and the offensive line. No. 25 Boise State (2-1) seemed to show the blueprint for beating the Ducks with their rushing attack, and the Bruins should follow suit. They will not succeed if quarterback Ethan Garbers gets into a track meet with Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

Defense: Carson Schwesinger, LB

Schwesinger is coming off of a great game against LSU despite the second half getting away from the Bruins. The junior linebacker logged 12 total tackles, 7 solo and 0.5 tackles for losses. He will have to log another game like this against the Ducks for their defense to have any hope of pulling off the upset.

Trends to Watch

UCLA has shown that their rushing attack is something they can't depend on so far. However, beating Oregon through the air will be extremely difficult for the Bruins against the elite defensive backfield of the Ducks. Look for UCLA to try to pound the rock more than usual. Oregon just has to execute and everything should be fine. As long as they keep a healthy balance between run-pass and don't turn the ball over the Ducks should be fine.