Oregon Strategy Session: Ducks Must Respect UCLA As Tough Pac-10 Stretch Begins

After Oregon took care of business against the hapless Washington State Cougars in Eugene, they must go on the road for the first time since that game of which Duck fans no longer speak.

Leaving the comforts of Autzen Stadium for the first time in five games will demand focus and intensity from an Oregon team we have seen mature immensely in the last month.

The Ducks are traveling to Pasadena, a place they hope to visit again in January. UCLA and head coach Rick Neuheisel are waiting for the Ducks and are sure to be angry after being pounded by Stanford in Palo Alto last weekend. 

The Bruins have looked strong early in the season, averaging 300 yards of offense per game and keeping their opponents in check. Safety Rahim Moore has five interceptions already for a defense that is giving up about 281 yards per game. But they haven’t exactly played a Murderers' Row of teams. If you take out Stanford, who is 4-1 overall, the combined record of their opponents is 7-8. 

Redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Prince is hoping to return this week from the broken jaw he suffered against Tennessee four weeks ago. That should give the Bruins' offense a jump-start after Kevin Craft continued to struggle after a forgettable year in 2008.

The key to this game for the Ducks will be whether or not Oregon can manhandle UCLA’s lines like the Cardinal did last weekend. 

The Ducks should play better than they did at Boise State for many reasons, one of which is the time they've had to build chemistry with one another. Senior tight end Ed Dickson said during the week before the California game that the line "really came together and made a huge improvement."

The proof was in the pudding the following Saturday as the Ducks tore apart the Bears for 524 total yards. 

Jeremiah Masoli’s injury is a concern for the Ducks. But if he can’t go, they are in good hands. Nate Costa would probably start for the majority of the teams in the Pac-10, but after suffering three knee injuries during his college career, Masoli took over the job.

While not quite as much of a running threat, Costa has a great arm and has shown good accuracy in the time he has seen this year. He also seems to be on the same page as many of his receivers, something that still can’t be said for Masoli.

All signs point to Masoli playing, but if he is not 100 percent, it could greatly affect his game. We could see how much progress he has made in his passing if he is forced to stay in the pocket and throw the ball.

The key to the game for UCLA is stopping Oregon’s run. If the Bruins can hit LaMichael James hard and often, it would considerably slow the Oregon offense. 

Seeing how Oregon plays on the road will give us a true measure of how this team will continue to play throughout the year. 

This is the beginning of a tough stretch that includes this game, a tough road game in Seattle against the Washington Huskies, a home game against USC on Halloween night and a road game down on The Farm (Stanford). 

This is a stretch that will define Oregon’s season. But the easiest looking game could be the most dangerous if they are not careful. 

The Ducks hope to leave Pasadena with a return trip in mind, but if they overlook the feisty Bruins, they will have a long two weeks to think about what could have been before traveling to Washington.