When the UCLA Bruins take the field against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium on Saturday at 7:15 p.m., it will end a week filled with scrutiny of a Ducks squad that has looked both brilliant and disastrous at times this season.
The latest, a 44-10 shellacking at the hands of the No. 8 USC Trojans, has left many fans seething, Oregon coaches reassessing, and some players searching for something to erase the bitter taste of Saturday’s loss. For this reason, many Ducks said this week that the game against the Bruins can’t come soon enough.
Oregon vs. UCLA
| Where: | Autzen Stadium |
| When: | Saturday, 7:15 p.m. kickoff |
| Why should I watch?: | UCLA arrives in Eugene looking to catch Oregon still reeling from its worst loss in five years at the hands of USC last weekend. The Bruins will go after Oregon’s secondary much the same way the Trojans did, testing its ability to defend the pass, especially on play-action. The Ducks can still rebound their season with a win, but a loss could spell its doom. |
| Weather: | 61 degrees and sunny, with a 10 percent chance of precipitation. |
“We just want Saturday to come as fast as possible,” said sophomore transfer quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. “We just want to forget about it already.”
But the Oregon defense will not be allowed to forget the success USC had against them on play-action passes (a fake handoff, then a drop-back or bootleg pass), as the Trojans completed touchdown passes of 34, 59 and 63 yards. Combine that with some other poor performances against the pass in general this season, and the Ducks are sure to see a healthy helping of it from the Bruins and quarterback Kevin Craft.
Craft is a junior transfer who was forced into action early in his career at this level because of injuries above him on the depth chart – much like Masoli.
“They are facing much the same thing we are,” said Bellotti. “They’re playing what is perceived to be their third-string quarterback.”
Craft has started all five games for the Bruins this season and has completed 57.4 percent of his passes for an average of 189 yards per game. Masoli has started the last three games for the Ducks and has been even more efficient, completing 59.7 percent of his throws for 107.4 yards per game.
“I’m starting to see things better and understand this offense even more,” Masoli said of his play.
Masoli was picked off for the first time in the second half of last Saturday’s loss, and has thrown four touchdowns. Craft has also thrown four touchdowns but has five interceptions to go along with them, for a poor overall ratio. It should be noted, however, that four of those five interceptions came in the first half of the Bruins’ season-opening 27-24 win over Tennessee. Craft has now gone three games without throwing an interception.
“He is improving,” Bellotti said of Craft. “He is very mobile, and he is very accurate.”
