Oregon-UCLA: The Ducks Look to Finish 1-1 Against Their SoCal Rivals

This Saturday will be a defining moment for the Ducks' postseason hopes. A struggling UCLA team (2-3, 1-1) comes to Autzen Stadium searching to regain their composure, and prove to the nation that the Pac-10 is not just "USC and the Nine Dwarfs."

Many similarities appear when one comparing these two teams. Both Oregon and UCLA have had trouble at the QB position the past two years, with each squad losing their top two quarterbacks to injury.

Oregon however, is no longer crippled offensively. Justin Roper, atop the depth chart, will be ready to play this weekend, even though he missed a combined 13 quarters of play due to a partially torn MCL and the flu.

So, what can we expect from this Ducks team, after being humbled by an amazing UCLA squad last weekend? Well, let's look into each team.

OREGON DUCKS OFFENSE:

Oregon's offense is currently ranked 11th in the nation, and second in the Pac-10 with 41.2 ppg. Their passing game is not too stellar, as seen by the early season injury to QB Justin Roper, Oregon's No.1 QB. Oregon's passing attack is ranked 56th in the nation at 215.7 ypg.

QB Jeremiah Masoli has been the most productive and the most efficient of the Oregon quarterbacks, throwing for 537 yards and a 132.9 rating. The highlight of Oregon's offense is their rushing attack, currently ranked seventh in the nation, first in the Pac-10, with 267.2 ypg. Senior SB Jeremiah Johnson and sophomore PB LeGarrette Blount lead the way for the Ducks.

Whether Roper or Masoli starts in the game, either QB will have a receiving corps with bountiful talent to throw to. Senior Jaison Williams, juniors Ed Dickson and Terrence Scott, and sophomore Jeff Mahel anchor this deep receiving corps. Dickson and Williams provide the biggest targets, while Scott provides yet another tailback to use on trick plays, like WR reverses or end-around sweeps.

UCLA BRIUNS OFFENSE:

The Bruins' offense is currently ranked 100th in the nation, and ninth in the Pac-10 with 19.2 ppg. UCLA has had QB troubles of their own, and are down to their third string quarterback.

UCLA's passing game is ranked 87th in the nation with 189 ypg, and their running game is ranked 110th in the nation at 97 ypg. UCLA has played relatively well at home, but has severely struggled on the road.

OREGON DUCKS DEFENSE:

Oregon's pass defense is currently ranked 110th in the nation. YIKES! The biggest reason for this is the lack of maturity when it comes to the play action pass. Oregon knows that it is their weakness; do not worry. Oregon will fix it—trust me.

The Duck's running defense has been relatively good, except for the USC game. That is very understandable, though, since USC has three All-American caliber running backs at their disposal.

UCLA BRUINS DEFENSE:

UCLA has had much trouble on the defensive side of the ball. This game will be the decider for both teams' bowl hopes.

FINAL VERDICT:

Oregon has the talent, the facilities, the coaching staff, the academics, a sugar daddy in Phil Knight, and the recruiting capabilities to be considered a Pac-10 and/or National Championship contender—basically every year since 2002.

Yes, Oregon has many things going for them, but coaching decisions seem to be the biggest Achilles heel of the team. Once Nick Aliotti can calm the nerves of his secondary, and use the correct defensive scheme for each situation, everything will start to fall into place.

Justin Roper is back to bring stability to the depth chart at QB. While Roper is nowhere close to being as fast or agile as Jeremiah Masoli, Chris Harper, and Darron Thomas, Roper does have two things going for him: experience, and a cannon for an arm.

If Oregon still used the Pro-Style, drop back offense, Roper could become the next Joey Harrington. Give him time in the pocket, and he can devastate opposing defenses. The only catch with Roper is that if conditions are not suitable, take wind for example, he tries to place his passes instead of just throwing the ball. Look for an increase in the maturity of this young quarterback.

All in all, this game should play a key role in determining the bowl trips, or lack thereof, for each team. If Oregon wins this game, which will most likely happen, it increases the possibility of Oregon getting an at-large bid to the Rose Bowl. This is much like Illinois did last year, that is, if USC can make it back into the Top two and advance to the National Championship.

This seems pretty unlikely, so Oregon's best hope is the Holiday Bowl. I would really love to see an Oregon-Texas Tech matchup.

For UCLA, if they lose this game, I can picture either a Las Vegas Bowl berth, or no Bowl bid at all. This UCLA team is just too crippled, and there is only so much that Rick Neu-weasel can do.

FINAL SCORE: Oregon 42, UCLA 17