A tough loss to California last week has left Oregon’s season in limbo going into a matchup with a UCLA team much in the same position Saturday at Autzen Stadium.
Both Oregon (5-4 overall, 4-2 Pacific-10 Conference) and UCLA (5-4, 3-3) are looking to solidify their bowl eligibility as well as move into position for a better bowl game.
“I see them in the exact situation that we are in,” Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said. “They have five wins and are desperate to get that sixth before they play their arch rival. They want to be bowl eligible and have a winning season.”
The Ducks are concentrating on not letting their loss last week affect them this week.
“We are excited to get the taste out of our mouth of the Cal game,” Oregon left tackle Adam Snyder said. “Even though we lost, we have to move on. It’s key that we don’t let the loss hit us twice.”
Bellotti isn’t taking last week’s loss any worse than any other loss.
“Every loss is difficult and makes Monday morning tough,” Bellotti said. “Winning is a relief and losing is only slightly better than dying.”
UCLA is also coming off a tough loss to Washington State last weekend 31-29. Its defense was pushed all over the field, allowing 506 total yards with 321 of them coming on the ground.
“The season is not lost,” UCLA head coach Karl Dorrell pointed out. “We need to really harp on the consistency now. We need to be more consistent with our production and more consistent with our execution.”
The Bruin offense took a big blow last week as they lost Maurice Drew to an ankle injury. Drew, who is third in the conference in rushing, is listed as day-to-day, but Dorrell said his injury is pretty significant and will be a game-time decision.
If Drew doesn’t play on Saturday, more of the burden will be placed on the shoulders of junior quarterback Drew Olson. Last week against the Cougars, he threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns, but completed less than 50 percent of his passes.
UCLA will have its leading receiver back in tight end Marcedes Lewis. The 6-foot-6 junior from Lakewood, Calif., left last week’s game with a bruised tailbone, but Dorrell expects him to play.
“He has a bruised tailbone which is not as significant (as Drew’s injury),” Dorrell said. “We think he is going to be just fine and ready to go on Saturday.”
The Oregon defense continues to shine as it ranks third in the Pac-10 in rushing and fourth against the pass. However, last week they seemed to struggle to get any pressure on Cal’s Aaron Rodgers, resulting in his 275 passing yards and three touchdowns.
The Ducks weren’t much better against the run, giving up 188 yards to conference rushing leader J.J. Arrington in their loss to Cal. Things don’t look as though they’ll get much easier if Drew is playing, according to Bellotti.
“I compare (Drew) very favorably with J.J. Arrington; they’re very similar,” Bellotti said. “They’re short in stature but very strong, very fast and very physical.”

Bellotti also was disappointed in his defense’s ability to tackle.
“We did not finish tackles,” Bellotti said. “We didn’t take people to the ground. We tried to strike them up high, and we did not then get the second and third guys in on the tackles to the legs to bring them down.”
While Oregon’s defense may
have struggled last week, the Bruin defense has struggled all year,
particularly against the run. UCLA ranks dead last in the Pac-10 against the run and the pass.
According to Bellotti, the Bruin defense has struggled due to youth and inexperience up front, but isn’t counting on them to fold in front of the Oregon offense.
“Their defense, though at times not playing the way they want, shutout Stanford a couple of weeks ago, which is a huge statement to me,” Bellotti said. “I think their defensive line has been their problem all year based on injuries and lack of experienced personnel.”
A bright spot for the UCLA defense has been the stellar and consistent play of linebacker Spencer Havner. The Butkus and Rotary Lombardi Award semifinalist, given to the nation’s best linebacker and best lineman, respectively, is averaging a conference-high 12.2 tackles per game. He leads the nation in solo tackles with 8.1 per game.
Another bright spot for the Bruins might be that three Oregon starters are currently nursing injuries and are seen as day-to-day decisions.
Wide receiver Demetrius Williams continues to nurse a case of turf toe. Tight end Tim Day’s ankle and calf are healing, while offensive lineman Robin Knebel is still recovering from a previous ankle injury.
While the Ducks may be down a few players, they still have dynamic juniors in quarterback Kellen Clemens and running back Terrence Whitehead.
Clemens continues to step up his game level, ranking just ahead of Oregon State’s Derek Anderson to lead the conference in total offense. He ranks third in passing efficiency and is tied for third in touchdown passes after throwing four touchdowns against Cal last weekend.
But for the Ducks, their running game will be the key against a weak Bruin defense.
Whitehead is second in the conference in rushing and fourth in all-purpose yardage.
Fullback Dante Rosario said his team should have success this week running the football.
“Washington State ran the ball for 300 yards, and it’s an opportunity for us to have a big rushing game,” Rosario said. “Terrence or whoever runs the ball, if they run the ball hard, they will have a big game.”
For Oregon, the win means more than a bowl bid; it guarantees its record-setting 11th consecutive winning season.
“A winning season is the first rallying cry,” Bellotti said. “Bowl eligibility is the bonus on top of that … We have the opportunity to go to a very good bowl game.
“We just have to do our job.”

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