UCLA-Oregon: 10 Bold Predictions for the Key Pac-10 Showdown
UCLA and Oregon will take to the field tonight in a Pac-10 clash on national television.
The Ducks are rated No. 2 in the BCS and No. 1 in both of the national polls and are in command of the Pac-10 after beating Stanford a couple of weeks ago. Oregon has a high-powered offense that has blown teams out of the water this season.
UCLA, on the other hand, has beaten two teams that were ranked in the Top 25 at the time of the meeting. However, Bruins quarterback Kevin Prince is doubtful with a knee injury he's dealing with.
Inside I give you 10 bold predictions for tonight's game. Any thoughts, leave them in the comments.
No. 10: UCLA Controls the Clock
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The best way to stop Oregon's offense is to just keep it off the field, and I think that's what UCLA is going to try to do tonight.
If UCLA can grind it out, get first downs and eat up the play clock, it's going to not only wear the Ducks' defense down, but it's also going to keep that dangerous offense on the sidelines where it can't hurt the Bruins. It won't be easy, but it's the only way to get the job done.
I think the Bruins will be able to do that and win the time of possession battle, especially early in the game.
No. 9: The Game Is Close at Halftime
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UCLA kept this game close last year, and it was actually 3-0 Bruins at halftime.
Now, Jeremiah Masoli didn't play in that game, and neither did Darron Thomas. That clearly affected the game, as Oregon struggled to move the ball with Nate Costa under center.
However, UCLA was able to keep the Ducks out of the end zone for most of the game, and that was a talented football team that went on to play in the Rose Bowl.
I think the Bruins will look at that tape and find a way to keep the game close heading into the half.
No. 8: UCLA Doesn't Score an Offensive Touchdown
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In last year's game UCLA managed to put a touchdown on the board; it just wasn't an offensive one.
The Bruins intercepted a pass for a touchdown, and I feel that or a kick return is the only way that UCLA is going to get on the board with a touchdown. It's not an easy defense to move the ball on, and the Bruins are going to find that out the hard way.
I don't envy the UCLA offense going into tonight's game.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
No. 7: Oregon Takes a Kick Back for Six
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In last year's game Kenjon Barner took a kickoff 100 yards all the way back to the house. It gave Oregon the lead, and the Ducks never looked back en route to a victory.
I see a similar situation happening this year. It seems like a prime spot for the Ducks to make a big play. With the Bruins so worried about Oregon's high-powered offense, it's easy to miss a tackle or two, and before you know it, the Ducks are off to the races.
Expect some fireworks tonight.
No. 6: Richard Brehaut Gives Up a Touchdown
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Right after that kick return last year, UCLA got back out on the field, but it wasn't long before Oregon struck back.
Kevin Prince threw an interception only 13 seconds later that went back for another six points.
The Ducks' defense is ferocious and gets to the ball quickly. If Prince makes a mistake, Oregon will capitalize, and it will be a back-breaker for the Bruins.
Sorry to say, but I see that happening for Mr. Brehaut, who appears to be starting in place of Prince, this time around.
No. 5: Darron Thomas Struggles Early
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Darron Thomas is coming off a game where he injured his shoulder and then had a bye week. I think that time off is going to hurt him a little bit, at least early in the game.
I expect to see Thomas just a hair off and a step slow out there to start the game, but once he starts to get into the thick of things, I think that we'll begin to see the quarterback we've been seeing for most of the season.
As long as he doesn't make any major mistakes early, he and Oregon should be fine.
No. 4: UCLA Quiets Crowd Early
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It's a Thursday night game on national TV, and the Ducks are in line for a national championship, not to mention just a hair from being the top team in the country.
The crowd is going to be fired up in Eugene tonight. UCLA is going to need to quiet the crowd to give itself a chance to win this game, and I think they'll do it. If the Bruins start to move the ball down the field and have some success and take an early lead, even if it's 3-0, it's going to quiet the crowd.
I think UCLA gets an early score and the crowd gets quiet.
No. 3: Johnathan Franklin Finds Room to Run
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With Kevin Prince likely missing this game because of injury, even more pressure is on Johnathan Franklin to get the job done in the running game.
In the last matchup between these two teams, Franklin struggled mightily, carrying the ball nine times for 32 yards. This year, Franklin is having a strong year, averaging 113.2 yards per game on the ground. The Bruins will need to rely on the run to get things started, and he's a big part of it.
I think UCLA will find a way to get him going early in this game, and he's going to find holes to run through. I'm not sure how long he'll have them, but he'll finish with a pretty good stat line by the end of the game.
No. 2: Oregon Is Held Under 40 Points
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That may sound like it wouldn't be that hard to do, but Oregon hasn't scored under that all season long and averages 54.3 points per game.
The Ducks have a high-powered offense that has scored with ease on every single opponent that has lined up across from them. Oregon has a lot of weapons, but I think that UCLA will find a way to slow down the Ducks' offense.
It can be done, and UCLA will find a way to hang around and will slow Oregon down in this game.
No. 1: LaMichael James Is Slowed Down
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LaMichael James is a Heisman Trophy candidate and has had an amazing season so far. However, I think this may be the game where he gets slowed down.
James killed the Bruins last time out, running for over 150 yards but no touchdowns. However, if Thomas is struggling, it's going to force Oregon to run, and I think the Bruins will key on it and slow James down. It's not an easy task, but I think that UCLA is up to the task.
It's hard to stop great players, and James will have a good stat line when it's all said and done, but he won't have anything like the games he's been having so far this year.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
