Coming off a bye week is always an interesting experience for a college football team. On the one hand, the extra time to prepare for the upcoming opponent and rest your players is always appreciated amongst the season’s crush. On the other hand, whatever momentum you had from the first games of the season can be interrupted, and an extra week’s rust can work against a team when they rejoin the football fray, possibly against a foe that is running hot from playing just a week before. For the Oregon Ducks, though, it would be hard to imagine them heading into a more favorable situation after their break, even considering they’ll be on the road. The UCLA Bruins, who will host the Ducks on Saturday at 8:00 PM, have certainly seen better days for their historic football program, starting the year with one lackluster performance after another.
UCLA started the season with a close win over a perennially struggling Hawaii program and has followed that up with a 29-point loss to Indiana at home and a 17-point loss to LSU on the road. In all three contests, the Bruins have failed to score over 20 points and shown no particular strengths on the other side of the field. In the 2023 season, UCLA finished a disappointing eighth in the former Pac-12, struggling to utilize considerable talent and turning in another year under Chip Kelly, who was unranked and unheralded nationally. The decision to start true freshman Dante Moore ended mid-season, with Kelly handing the keys over to junior Ethan Garbers for the remainder of the year. To add insult to injury, Moore transferred to Oregon to sit behind Dillon Gabriel for a year, eschewing an opportunity to compete for the starting job at UCLA.
However, Garbers returned for his senior year and has started all three games for the Bruins. While his solid play steadied the ship for a bit during the back half of last season, 2024 has seen the quarterback struggle, with his completion percentage dropping from the high-60s to mid-50s while also throwing more interceptions than touchdowns. He must rely on transfer wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. and third-year running back TJ Harden as his most consistent and versatile weapons. It will be an uphill battle for players and coaches alike to right the ship offensively, though, with UCLA ranking 124th in total offense in the FBS out of 133 eligible teams. Combine that with the fact that their defense ranks 91st in total yards allowed, and the result is a team in need of a total overhaul if the season plays out in kind. (stats via cfbref and NCAA).
On the other end of the competitive spectrum, Oregon is fresh off its second Civil War game victory in two years, trouncing Oregon State two weeks ago to 49-14. The game stayed close throughout the first half, with only eight points separating the two teams at the break, but things for the Ducks opened up in the second half as they held Oregon State scoreless and put up 27 points of their own. Gabriel warmed up after a lackluster start to the season, throwing for 291 yards and two touchdowns and adding in a spectacular 54-yard TD run. While they are yet to meet the sky-high expectations most had for them prior to the season, the Ducks continue to figure themselves out, clocking in at 28th in total offense and 38th in total defense, rankings that could undoubtedly improve after facing an opponent as vulnerable as UCLA. (stats via ESPN and NCAA)
A player to watch for the Ducks will be offensive lineman Matthew Bedford, who has been on the precipice of returning to game action for a few weeks now. A transfer from Indiana, Bedford injured his knee in fall camp and has been rehabbing since then, with recent news saying he re-aggravated the injury a bit during practice. According to Oregon coach Dan Lanning, “If he’s able to help us this week, we will” (via oregonducksSI), as the projected starter would aid an offensive line that initially looked shaky but was able to protect Gabriel well against Oregon State. The focus against UCLA should be continuing to emphasize the passing game with the goal of creating smooth, consistent, turnover and punt-less drives down the field from wire to wire. Gabriel and his bevy of talented wide receivers need to keep elevating their chemistry and gameplan, as that facet will be even more important as they face tougher programs post-Bruins.
Oregon is favored by 24 points at UCLA, with an over/under score of 55.5. While surprising upsets in college football can always happen, especially between two former members of the PAC, expect Oregon to cruise to a 4-0 record and take care of business in Pasadena this weekend.
Prediction: Oregon W, 42-10
