Oregon won the coin toss before the game and deferred to the Bruins, who chose to receive the ball to start the game.
It was a statement of the Ducks’ faith in their defense — and it was right on target Saturday.
Oregon held UCLA to two field goals in the first half and a touchdown with 12 seconds left in the game en route to a 31-13 Duck victory in the Rose Bowl.
“I’m very pleased with our defense today,” Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti told KUGN 590 AM after the game. “They played extremely well. Those guys are warriors in there.”
The Ducks guaranteed their 10th-consecutive winning season — matching a school record — by improving to 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the Pacific-10 Conference.
The first drive of Saturday’s game at the Rose Bowl was indicative of the defensive play to come for Oregon.
UCLA (6-5 overall, 4-3 Pac-10) started with a 10-yard holding penalty and a 1-yard loss on a rush by Bruins quarterback Drew Olson, setting up a 2nd-and-21 situation. Under pressure, Olson threw a pass that Duck linebacker Jerry Matson snagged at the 22-yard line and ran in for his first touchdown.
That all happened in the opening 72 seconds of the game.
Oregon continued to make its presence felt by scoring on three of its first four drives with Kellen Clemens starting at quarterback.
With 6:20 remaining in the first quarter, Clemens found Samie Parker for a 40-yard touchdown pass, extending Oregon’s early lead to 14-0.
The Bruins answered with their first points on a 36-yard field goal by Justin Medlock. On the following kickoff, Oregon junior Kenny Washington returned the ball 97 yards for a touchdown. It was the fourth-longest kickoff return in Oregon history.
“I was running, and it just opened wide up,” Washington told KUGN. “The first thing I was thinking was: ‘Don’t let the kicker get you,’ because that’s what happened last week. After I got by him, I was like, ‘This might go.’ That was kind of surreal. It hasn’t sunk in yet.”
The Ducks held their 21-3 lead into the second quarter, then increased it to 24-3 on a Jared Siegel field goal.
The 51-yard field goal was Siegel’s longest of the season, and tied him for Oregon’s individual career record for most long-range — 50 yards or more — kicks.
UCLA answered with a 37-yard field goal, Medlock’s second successful kick. He also missed a 44-yard field goal and a 32-yard attempt during the game.
In the second quarter, Clemens found sophomore tight end Tim Day for an 18-yard touchdown pass, giving Oregon all the scoring it needed in the game. The Ducks led, 31-6, at the half.
In the second half, Oregon’s defense simply needed to hold the Bruins. In just one game this season — a 46-16 win against Washington — the Bruins scored more than 24 points.
The defense did just that, continuing to chase down Olson. Defensive end Devan Long led the line with three tackles for loss, including two sacks. His teammates added six tackles for loss, including four sacks. “I think it was great to get those scores from offense, defense and special teams early on,” Bellotti said. “At halftime, I said, ‘Guys, just make sure you have fun in the second half.’”
For the first time this season, quarterback Jason Fife didn’t replace Clemens in the first half. Fife came into the game for the final two Oregon drives of the game, when Oregon had virtually sealed the deal.
Clemens finished the game with 21 completions on 27 pass attempts for 183 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bruins’ 91,500-capacity Rose Bowl had 56,083 fans in attendance. UCLA has lost three straight at home to the Ducks.