EUGENE, Ore. — The UCLA Bruins stayed undefeated and shook up the national postseason picture Saturday, holding off the Oregon Ducks for a 17-15 upset victory at Autzen Stadium.
Ranked No. 21 entering the contest, UCLA snapped a five-game losing streak against Oregon and earned its first victory in Eugene since 2004, USA TODAY Sports reported. The Bruins improved to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play under first-year head coach Bob Chesney, while the No. 13 Ducks dropped to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
Ducks struggle with mistakes and injuries
Oregon entered the matchup without starting quarterback Dante Moore, who had been ruled out due to a concussion sustained two weeks earlier against USC, according to The Big Lead. Backup quarterback Dylan Raiola struggled, completing 6 of 19 passes for 43 yards with two interceptions before being replaced in the third quarter, The Sporting News reported.
The Ducks committed seven turnovers during the contest, marking their highest total in a single game in two decades, according to The Register-Guard. Along with Raiola’s two interceptions and a lost fumble, Jordon Davison, Evan Stewart, and third-string quarterback Brock Thomas all lost fumbles.
Oregon’s offense struggled to generate momentum on the ground, producing only 73 rushing yards on 27 attempts for an average of 2.7 yards per carry, The Sporting News reported. The team went 1 for 12 on third downs and failed to convert a fourth down, according to USA TODAY Sports.
“It hasn’t been good enough this year,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said, according to The Register-Guard. “Running the ball, we haven’t been as effective this year. All of those things tie together.”
Late rally falls short on two-point conversion
UCLA faced its own quarterback adversity after starter Nico Iamaleava was sidelined with an injury and committed three turnovers, USA TODAY Sports reported. Backup Ty Dieffenbach helped seal the offense, connecting with running back Wayne Knight for a touchdown. Knight, a transfer from James Madison, also scored on a 35-yard run.
Thomas entered for Oregon and engineered a late rally, completing 11 of 15 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown, according to The Sporting News. Oregon reached the end zone to pull within two points and had two opportunities to convert the tying two-point attempt.
Thomas was stopped short on the first attempt, but an illegal face-mask penalty on UCLA granted Oregon an additional try, The Sporting News reported. Davison was then tackled short of the goal line on the ensuing play, and a final desperation possession in the closing seconds also failed to produce points.
“This is not the normal UCLA,” Chesney said in a postgame television interview on CBS.
Playoff implications and what comes next
The defeat severely damages Oregon’s path to the 12-team College Football Playoff, handing the program its second loss of the season following an early setback against Oklahoma State, The Sporting News reported. Lanning acknowledged that the Ducks no longer control their destiny.
“We’re fighting an uphill battle now,” Lanning said, according to The Register-Guard. “You can’t look 10 weeks ahead, you have to look at what’s in front of us right now. We don’t control our destiny anymore.”
Lanning also told reporters he plans to review all aspects of the offense, leaving open whether changes will be made to play-calling duties under offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer, The Register-Guard reported.
Oregon will attempt to rebound when it hosts Nebraska on Oct. 17 at Autzen Stadium before heading on the road to play Illinois. UCLA continues its pursuit of the Big Ten title and a playoff berth as one of the few remaining unbeaten teams in the conference.
