Ducks and Bruins fans alike are about to witness history. On Saturday, Sept. 28, the No.8-ranked Oregon Ducks football team will play its first ever Big Ten conference game in a visit to the Rose Bowl stadium and the University of California, Los Angeles Bruins.
Oregon enters the game with an undefeated 3-0 record. After their best performance of the year, a 49-14 thrashing of longtime rivals Oregon State University, the Ducks had a bye week to prepare for their inaugural season of Big Ten conference play.
The Ducks will be hoping to begin that first season with a win over UCLA, who hold a 1-2 record and will enter Saturday’s game following two losses against the University of Indiana and Louisiana State University.
UCLA’s most recent game against No.16-ranked LSU started well, as UCLA carried a 10-7 lead into the second quarter and entered halftime with the score tied at 17. However, things changed after the break, as LSU scored 17 unanswered points to secure a 34-17 victory over the Bruins.
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was able to dice up UCLA’s passing defense, completing 32 of 44 pass attempts for 352 yards and three touchdowns without being sacked. He finished with an efficiency rating of 162.4, his best in his three matchups against “Power 4” conference teams this season.
UCLA has only five sacks this season, with none in their last two games. The Ducks offensive line, led by an elite tackle duo in Ajani Cornelius and Josh Conerly Jr., will be hoping to further UCLA’s pass-rush woes on Saturday.
After allowing seven sacks in their first two games, Oregon’s offensive line rebounded against Oregon State, allowing no sacks and committing no penalties. UCLA’s middling pass-rush presents Cornelius, Conerly Jr. and company with an excellent opportunity to build on the momentum they generated in Corvallis.
If the offensive line can continue to protect quarterback Dillon Gabriel, the Ducks should be able to capitalize on an underperforming UCLA defense. The Bruins’ defense ranks last in the Big Ten in pass yards per game (295.3) and ranks second-to-last in total yards per game (387.3).
Among the eight Big Ten teams who’ve played only three games so far, UCLA is second-to-last in total tackles (169) and tied for third-to-last in sacks with five. Among the same eight teams, Oregon ranks fourth in tackles with 186 and third in sacks with seven.
Unlike its defense, UCLA’s offense has been responsible for plenty of quarterback pressure. The Bruins’ offensive line allowed five sacks against LSU, one of which resulted in a lost fumble.
UCLA’s offense has struggled all year. It ranks last in the Big Ten in total yards per game (292), rush yards per game (60.3), points per game (15.3) and average point differential (-14.3).
The team has only 181 rushing yards through three games. Leading rusher T.J. Harden has taken his 26 carries for only 72 yards and a single touchdown, averaging an underwhelming 2.6 yards per carry.
Things aren’t much better through the air. Quarterback Ethan Garbers has completed only 56.7% of his pass attempts, the third-worst rate in the conference. Garbers has thrown more interceptions (4) than touchdowns (3) and has only a single receiver, sophomore Rico Flores Jr., with more than 85 receiving yards this season.
Oregon will enter Saturday’s Big Ten opener with momentum firmly on the Ducks’ side. “It’s a huge week for development,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said. “Every single one of our players has an individual improvement plan this week.”
