Oregon Ducks vs. UCLA Bruins Complete Game Preview

The No. 12-ranked Oregon Ducks and the No. 18-ranked UCLA Bruins face off on Saturday at the Rose Bowl in what amounts to a make-or-break game for two teams that entered the season with dream of earning a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff.

Both UCLA and Oregon got off to 4-0 starts this season and were each ranked within the top eight of the AP poll heading into last week. However, this past weekend the college football landscape experienced a seismic shift.

Five of the top eight teams in the AP poll lost—including UCLA and Oregon. Out of those five teams that lost, only UCLA and Oregon lost at home. Even worse for the Pac-12, only UCLA and Oregon lost to previously unranked opponents—Utah and Arizona.

The Bruins and Ducks were both favored to win their Pac-12 divisions and meet in the Pac-12 Championship. While both teams have now suffered their first conference loss, they each still have a legitimate shot at winning a Pac-12 title, especially when you consider the fact that every Pac-12 team other than Arizona has a loss in conference play.

The winner of this matchup will, once again, earn an inside track at the conference title, while the other will likely lose out at a chance to earn a bid into the College Football Playoff.

So what should you expect out of this matchup between the Ducks and Bruins? Well, we hope you like good quarterbacks and awful offensive lines.

Oregon’s offensive line, decimated by injuries, has allowed 12 sacks over its previous two games. Meanwhile, UCLA’s offensive line allowed 10 sacks last week against Utah. Ten!

Meanwhile, both teams possess quarterbacks who were preseason favorites to win the Heisman Trophy.

There’s a lot on the line at the Rose Bowl this Saturday. Here's what you need to know:  

Date: Saturday, Oct. 11

Time: 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time

Place: Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.)

TV: Fox

Spread: Oregon -3, according to OddsShark.com.

Oregon Keys to Victory

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Protect Marcus Mariota

We’ve written about Oregon’s offensive line woes in seemingly every article the past couple of weeks. However, the line's propensity for giving up sacks and inability to keep Mariota upright and healthy has become more than just a cause for concern. It’s now cost Oregon an undefeated season.

As mentioned previously, Oregon’s offensive line gave up seven sacks to Washington State and followed up that performance by allowing five sacks against Arizona. During the Mariota era, dating back to 2012, the most sacks allowed by Oregon’s offensive line was three before the last two games.

So once again, in order for Oregon to grab a huge conference road win against UCLA, the offensive line will need to protect Marcus Mariota. If Mariota is unable to stay upright it limits his ability to do what he does best—improvise.

Bring the Heat 

While Oregon’s offensive line has been a disaster over the past two games, UCLA’s offensive line may be worse. The Bruins allowed 10 sacks against Utah last week. Double digits!

Oregon’s defense hasn’t played well this season, as evidenced by the fact that it is ranked No. 102 in total defense this year, wedged snuggly between FBS powerhouses Ohio and Georgia State.

While Oregon’s pass defense had been the root of its defensive problems up until the Arizona game, its run defense was just as bad against the Wildcats last Thursday night.

The Ducks allowed 208 rushing yards against Arizona and couldn’t stop the run in high-pressure situations, including a 3-and-20 draw play late in the fourth quarter that resulted in a Terris Jones-Grigsby first down. That play led to Arizona’s game-winning touchdown three plays later.

Oregon’s defense now ranks No. 119 in the country against the pass, No. 56 against the run and is allowing an average of 453.8 yards per game.

If Oregon’s defense plays as poorly as it has all season against UCLA, it could be a long night for the Ducks. One way to beat UCLA’s offense is to bring the heat and bring it all the time. That’s something the Ducks defense hasn’t done much of this season under new defensive coordinator Don Pellum.

Oregon needs to take advice from Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham, who said that he and his coaching staff concluded it would be better to get after UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley than to sit back and give him time to gun down his receivers. "Let’s get after the quarterback” said Whittingham, according to Christopher Kamrani of The Salt Lake Tribune.

Utah brought a four-man rush the entire night and dialed up five-, six- and seven-man blitz packages. It worked. Utah not only won the game, but it raked in 10 sacks along the way.

If Oregon wants to win, it's going to need to bring the heat and bring it often.

UCLA Keys to Victory

Don Ryan/Associated Press

Protect Brett Hundley

Protecting the quarterback seems to be a trend here. UCLA’s offensive line is one of the worst in college football. In fact, the Bruins have given up 23 sacks through five games this season, which averages out to 4.6 sacks per game. In total, the Bruins have lost 131 yards this season due to sacks.

The 23 sacks allowed by UCLA’s offensive line ranks it No. 123 out of 125 eligible FBS schools this season. Of course, Oregon’s offensive line isn’t much better. The Ducks have allowed 15 sacks this season, totaling 81 yards, which ranks No. 110 in the nation.

We have discussed that Oregon’s defense is a flawed unit, meaning if Hundley is upright and has time to move around the pocket, he’s likely to find success in both the passing and running games. However, if Oregon decides to intensify its blitz packages the Bruins might be in trouble, especially if the offensive line continues to play the way it has this season.

If the Bruins and Ducks offensive lines continue to struggle as they have so far this season, it may come down to which quarterback is better able to escape the pocket and make plays with his legs.

Keep Mariota in the Pocket

Marcus Mariota’s ability to escape the pocket and make plays while running to either sideline is well-known. However, Mariota may not be fully healthy. If he is unable to escape the pocket due to injury, UCLA must break down Oregon’s weak offensive line and make him force throws from inside the pocket.

According to Anne M. Peterson of The Associated Press (via NCAA.com), following the loss to Arizona, "offensive coordinator Scott Frost suggested that Mariota wasn’t 100 percent” after getting sacked seven times against Washington State.

Oregon doesn’t discuss injuries, so it’s impossible to know exactly what Frost meant by those comments. However, it is telling that Mariota rushed the ball nine times against Arizona for one yard and didn’t roll out of the pocket as much as most expected him to given Oregon’s glaring offensive lines issues.

If Mariota is indeed less than 100 percent, UCLA can capitalize on it by sending more pressure at him from the edges, forcing him to step up in the pocket—as he has a propensity to do—and attempting a strip-sack. 

Mariota is far less likely to beat you by exclusively staying in the pocket and beating you with his arm. Is he capable of doing it? Absolutely. But if you keep Mariota in the pocket you’re stacking the deck in your favor.

Oregon Ducks Players to Watch

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Hroniss Grasu

Again, we start with Oregon’s offensive line and its unquestioned leader—senior center Hroniss Grasu.

Grasu, who came back to Oregon after his junior season despite being one of the top centers in the country last year, was named to the Rimington Trophy (best center) and Outland Trophy (top interior lineman) watch lists before the season.

However, Grasu has struggled at times this season. He has committed numerous penalties and hasn’t been the strength of Oregon’s line, a line that has needed him to be the backbone.

We can continue to blame the offensive line woes on the losses of Tyler Johnstone, Andre Yruretagoyena and Jake Fisher; however, at some point those injuries don’t factor in to the way the line is playing.

If the Ducks line is to put together its best game of the season against UCLA, it’s going to start with the play of Grasu. If he plays well, the Ducks line will perform admirably against the Bruins. If he doesn’t play well, it could be another long day at the office for the Ducks.

DeForest Buckner

We’ve mentioned that the Ducks need to get pressure on UCLA’s horrific offensive line and that they’ve yet to truly bring consistent pressure this season.

If the Ducks do indeed bring the heat on Brett Hundley this weekend, look for defensive end DeForest Buckner to be the man leading the charge for the Ducks.

Buckner, a 6’7”, 290-pound junior defensive end, will have to step up for Oregon if it brings the pressure because of his position on the field and the loss of defensive tackle Arik Armstead. Per Oregon’s policy, we’re unsure of Armstead’s availability for the UCLA game; however, there are legitimate concerns that he may be unavailable.

If Armstead is out, Buckner is going to have to have his best game as a Duck in order for Oregon to effectively slow down Brett Hundley and UCLA’s capable offense.

UCLA Bruins Players to Watch

Alex Gallardo/Associated Press

Eric Kendricks

Kendricks, a redshirt senior linebacker, leads the Bruins in tackles with 58 so far this season. In 2012, he led the conference in tackles with 10.64 per game, a statistic that ranked him No. 11 in the nation.

While Kendricks may not be UCLA’s most talented defender—that would be sophomore linebacker Myles Jack—he is the heart and soul of the Bruins defense.

We know Oregon is going to score points against the Bruins; however, if UCLA is able to make open-field tackles and limit Oregon’s “explosive” plays, it'll have a great shot at winning.

That’s where Kendricks can play a crucial role. Both Jack and Kendricks will have to be able to slow down the Ducks' playmaking running backs and receivers, specifically Byron Marshall and Devon Allen, both of whom can take it to the house on any given play.

If Kendricks has a good game, UCLA’s defense will likely follow.

Paul Perkins

If there’s a time to run on Oregon’s defense it’s right now. The Arizona Wildcats proved last week that the Ducks defense can be taken advantage of through the air and on the ground. Terris Jones-Grigsby and Nick Wilson each ran for more than 92 yards and totaled four touchdowns against the Ducks, three of which came on the ground.

UCLA’s best running back is sophomore Paul Perkins. Through five games this season, Perkins has rushed for 540 yards on 94 attempts: good for a yards-per-carry average of 5.7. Perkins has averaged 108 yards per game on the ground and has scored three touchdowns this year.

With Brett Hundley in charge of the offense, the Bruins are likely to find success against an Oregon pass defense that has struggled mightily so far this season.

However, Arizona’s offense showed that the best way to beat the Ducks is by having a two-pronged attack that controls the clock and eats up yards along the way. By having a complete offense you can beat the Ducks.

If UCLA’s running game gets going, the Bruins can most certainly knock off the Ducks.

What They're Saying

Don Ryan/Associated Press

The Oregonian's Ken Goe thinks the UCLA-Oregon game is a fight for survival. 

"

At this time last week, Oregon's game at UCLA next Saturday looked like a titanic between the Pac-12's two best teams.

Then Arizona ambushed Oregon and Utah took down the Bruins, and now the game is a fight for survival.

The loser will have been beaten in back-to-back conference games, and all but ushered out of the College Football Playoff picture.

"

Oregon's title hopes were given a second life after a wild and wacky week of Pac-12 football, writes Jason Quick of The Oregonian.

"

If the Oregon Ducks needed a spiritual pick-me-up after their 31-24 loss on Thursday, they got it Saturday.

UCLA lost to Utah. USC lost on a Hail Mary to Arizona State. Stanford lost on a fourth-down play late at Notre Dame. And Cal, after scoring 60 points at Washington State, leads the Pac-12 North.

Every Pac-12 team except Arizona has a conference loss.

The North is up for grabs, and so too is a shot at the Pac-12 title. 

"

Senior cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu says Oregon's loss to Arizona will test the team's character, according to The Associated Press (via Fox News). 

"

Every loss is a test of our character to see how we respond. Not every team in college football is going to go undefeated so everyone has to learn from their losses and get better.

"

Oregon defensive tackle Arik Armstead hopes to play against UCLA on Saturday despite having a boot on his left leg on Monday, according to Tyson Alger of The Oregonian. 

"

I'm getting better everyday. Doing a lot of rehab right now. I hope to play against UCLA. I'm just trying to get back as quick as possible.

"

Freshman running back Royce Freeman says you can't have your season defined by one game, according to the Anne M. Peterson of The Associated Press (via NCAA.com).

"

You can't have your whole season decided by this one game, because then it's all downhill from there.

"

Prediction

Don Ryan/Associated Press

Brett Hundley and UCLA’s offense is going to play well against Oregon. UCLA’s defense is going to be able to stop Oregon’s offense on occasion and will likely be able to bottle up Oregon’s rushing attack to a certain extent.

However, Oregon hasn’t lost consecutive games in the same season since 2007, when the Ducks, led by Mike Bellotti, lost to—oddly enough—Arizona and UCLA. Will history repeat itself? As Lee Corso of ESPN's College GameDay would say, "Not so fast, my friend."

Oregon is a deeper and more talented team than UCLA. Pure talent isn’t always the best indicator for on-the-field success; however, it is a decent baseline to use in games against evenly matched conference foes.

Plus, Oregon hasn’t lost to UCLA since that 2007 game. When in doubt, believe in the trend.

Prediction: Oregon 34, UCLA 31

Jason Gold is Bleacher Report’s lead Oregon writer. Follow Jason on Twitter @TheSportsGuy33.