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The No. 8 Oregon Ducks (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten Conference) took down the UCLA Bruins (1-3, 0-2) in a complete team win to open conference play. The Ducks left Pasadena, Calif., with a 34-13 win on Sept. 28 in a game they never trailed.
Oregon's early season struggles have been well documented on both sides of the ball. Against the Idaho Vandals (3-1), the Ducks moved the ball well but struggled in pass protection and could not finish drives consistently. Against the No. 25 Boise State Broncos (3-1), the defense struggled to defend the run and get off the field on third down. Last week's rivalry game win against the Oregon State Beavers (3-1) showed improvement, but the win against UCLA proved that the Ducks can safely be viewed as a legitimate College Football Playoff contender going forward.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel went 31-of-41 for 280 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception in an efficient performance. Wide receiver Tez Johnson led the team on offense, hauling in 11 receptions for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns. Elite play from the Oregon defense was the real story of the game, though. The defense finished with 4 sacks and 7 tackles for loss, holding the Bruins rushing attack to just 47 total yards and 2 yards per rush.
Game Summary
The Ducks and Bruins traded scores early after going on methodical, 12-play drives to start the game. The Oregon offense relied heavily on the short passing attack as they settled into the game, and the Ducks led 7-3 after the first quarter thanks to Gabriel's 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Traeshon Holden.
The two teams remained fairly evenly-matched early, but a timely interception from linebacker Bryce Boettcher helped break the scoring open for the Ducks. A short touchdown rush from star running back Jordan James pushed the Ducks in front 17-3 early in the second quarter. The defense followed the interception by forcing three straight three-and-outs, allowing the offense to take complete control of the game. Gabriel highlighted the Ducks' scoring streak with a 52-yard score to Johnson.
A poor pass from Gabriel resulted in a 96-yard pick-six from former Ducks' defensive back Bryan Addison, but Oregon's overwhelming performance was still the story in a 28-10 halftime lead.
The third quarter did not follow the script of the first half. Oregon could not maintain any momentum on offense, and UCLA managed to pull within two scores thanks to a 54-yard field goal from kicker Mateen Bhaghani. After a quick stop on defense, the Bruins began another promising drive with a chance to score a touchdown to make it a one-score game. Oregon's defense came up big once again, getting a stop on fourth-and-3 from near midfield to halt any momentum UCLA had gained.
The Ducks offense finally started clicking again at the start of the fourth quarter. Gabriel led the offense down the field, capping off the drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Tez Johnson to effectively put the game out of reach. Oregon was content to run out the clock on their last possession of the game to finish off a 34-13 victory.
Turning Point for the Oregon Ducks
After a first half in which almost nothing could go wrong, the Ducks came out in the second half uninspired and allowed UCLA to pull within two scores. With the Bruins driving near midfield, the defense needed a stop on fourth-and-3 to halt a suddenly effective UCLA offense. Garbers dropped back to pass and threw into coverage, and Oregon defensive back Tysheem Johnson came up big with an interception to give the ball back to the Ducks offense.
What It Means
For Oregon, the convincing win gives the Ducks confidence as they begin their first season of Big Ten play. The offensive line continued to show improvement in pass protection, allowing zero sacks on Gabriel and giving him time to create plays down field. The rushing defense was stifling, allowing just 47 total yards and forcing the Bruins to become one-dimensional early on. The Ducks have now put together two complete performances in a row and look much more capable of handling a loaded conference schedule.
Oregon will turn their attention to a Friday night battle on Oct. 4 against the upset-minded Michigan State Spartans (3-2, 1-1) before a marquee matchup against the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0) in two weeks.
For UCLA, struggles on both sides of the ball have continued in head coach DeShaun Foster's first year at the helm. Garbers has displayed ability in flashes, but he has received no help from an anemic Bruins' rushing attack. The defense has provided no relief as well, allowing opposing offenses to control the clock and giving their offense no chance to build momentum. It was expected that Foster would have his work cut out for him with this Bruins' team, but he will need to make significant strides to just be competitive in a deep Big Ten.
UCLA must turn around quickly with a road trip to No. 9 Penn State (4-0, 1-0) coming up next week.
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