UCLA leads the all-time series with Oregon 37-19.
But the Ducks, like the good comeback team they’ve become in the past few years, are clawing their way back into it.
Oregon has won the last two games against UCLA. Prior to that, the Bruins won four straight, but since 1989 UCLA’s advantage is only 6-4.
And just like a comeback, the games have been close.
21-20 last year. Overtime in 1998. Discounting Oregon’s 29-10 win in Eugene two years ago, the last five games have been determined by eight points or less.
“It’s always a close, hard-fought game,” Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said. “I think that’s what everyone would like to see, except maybe the coaches.”
In a struggle for Pacific-10 Conference supremacy between South and Northwest, no series has defined the war like UCLA-Oregon.
Maybe it’s because many Oregon players are from California and they play with emotions high against UCLA. Maybe it’s because of Bruin head coach Bob Toledo, who spent five years as offensive coordinator at Oregon.
Whatever the reason, Bruins-Ducks is sure to provide a thrill.
Even three years ago when Oregon blew out UCLA, the game was won by the team that played with the most emotion, the then-underdog Ducks who went on to lose only one more game en route to a Holiday Bowl win over Texas.
Heading into Saturday’s contest, Oregon will once again be the underdog to UCLA, by 2.5 points.
“That’s football,” Oregon quarterback Jason Fife said. “Sometimes you’re the underdog, sometimes you’re the front-runner.”
In order to be the Pac-10 front-runner at the end of this season, the Ducks will once again have to upend the Bruins. Many of the Oregon players remember last season, when the Ducks went into the Rose Bowl needing a win to keep BCS Bowl hopes alive. In a thriller, Joey Harrington led a fourth-quarter charge with less than 10 minutes left in the game to put Oregon ahead 21-20. With seconds remaining on the clock, the Ducks stopped a UCLA drive near midfield, and the Bruins were forced to kick a 50-yard field goal that fell short to give the Ducks the win.
“We hope to not have any nailbiters (like past years),” Fife said.
When Oregon and UCLA meet this year, several factors could lead to a close game. Both offenses are high scoring, with the Bruins reliant on an experienced quarterback, Cory Paus, and the Ducks reliant on an experienced tailback, Onterrio Smith. Both teams have talented but inexperienced players in Fife and Tyler Ebell, UCLA’s newfound talent at running back.
On paper, at least, the matchup shouldn’t break the trend of nailbiters, as much as Fife and his coach would like to think otherwise.
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