Plenty on the line for Bruins, Ducks
Saturday’s matchup between Oregon and UCLA could end up having big ramifications in the Pac-12. Oregon (2-1 in conference) is tied for the Pac-12 North lead, while UCLA (3-1 in conference) is tied for second in the Pac-12 South, behind 3-0 Utah. College GameDay will broadcast from the game.
Keys for Oregon
Get solid game from QB. Anthony Brown was 20-for-28 for 244 yards and a touchdown in Oregon’s 24-17 win over Cal last week and he didn’t throw an interception. A similar effort would pay off for the Ducks Saturday. Brown has only had one pass intercepted this season.
Slow down UCLA’s passing game. The Ducks have allowed 80 passing first downs this season compared to 50 first downs running the ball. Can they slow down UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson?
Rebound on the road. Oregon lost its most recent game on the road on Oct. 2, when it fell to Stanford in overtime. The Ducks are not nearly as good away from Autzen Stadium and they will need to focus at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.
Keys for UCLA
Ride Charbonnet. UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet is coming off a 21-carry, 131-yard performance in a 2417 win over Washington. He hasn’t scored a rushing touchdown since Sept. 25, however. Getting one or two could help the Bruins spring the upset.
Limit penalties. The Bruins are averaging 70.14 yards per game in penalties, while their opponents are averaging 38.14 yards per game. They can’t afford to have a big discrepancy in that area against Oregon.
Keep emotions in check. Players always get fired up for games against highly ranked opponents, but the Bruins can’t afford to lose focus if they want a chance to upset the Ducks and help their Pac-12 South hopes.
Prediction
We could see a shootout between the two teams, but the edge has to go to Oregon even though it is on the road. The Ducks will do just enough to hold off the Bruins late.