Oregon Football: Ducks Find Run Game In Win Over UCLA Bruins

Oregon Football Head Coach Mario Cristobal challenged the team following the loss to Arizona and they responded finding plays on Special Teams and rediscovering the Run Game in a 42-21 win over UCLA.

Oregon Football returned home to Autzen Stadium and faced former Head Coach Chip Kelly. The former Oregon Coach earned a round of applause from the crowd during pregame introductions, but during the game, Oregon needed to reestablish a winning attitude after two poor road outings.

The Ducks received the opening kick as the UCLA Bruins went on Defense to open the game.

Oregon was able to move the ball on the ground on the first drive with CJ Verdell picking up several first downs and positive yardage. In the opening minutes, Wide Receiver Dillon Mitchell was seen by himself on the sideline. The Ducks first drive came to an end at the 49-yard line as Oregon punted. Mitchell did not see the field in the opening drive as Justin Herbert went 1 for 3.

The UCLA Offense was unable to get far after a penalty pushed them back to a third and 12. The Bruins were forced to punt. Ugo Amadi took the ball 56 yards back up the middle for an Oregon Touchdown on Special Teams to make it 7-0 Ducks with 11:08 left in the first quarter. It was the Ducks first lead in a game since their win against Washington three weeks ago.

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Oregon Football went on Defense for the second time and after allowing a 22 yard run that saw Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson escape a tackle and use his legs for a first down, the Ducks forced Thompson-Robinson into a turnover in the end zone finishing off a solid drive by UCLA. Justin Herbert took over on Offense throwing a 49-yard pass to Dillon Mitchell who caught the ball at the UCLA 29 yard line. Oregon appeared stalled and kicking a field goal, but it was a fake.

The fake went to perfection and a pass to Jacob Breeland took the ball to the one-yard line. Oregon scored on the next play making it 14-0 Ducks.

UCLA was forced to punt on their next possession as the Oregon Defense held again. Oregon opened the ensuing possession on their 9-yard line. CJ Verdell picked up 12 yards for his first catch of the game. The drive ended at the 42-yard line and the UCLA Bruins fumbled the punt. Oregon recovered at the UCLA 11 yard line. Tony Brooks-James recovered the ball for the Ducks.

Three plays later Dillon Mitchell took a swing pass into the end zone to make it 21-0 Oregon over the UCLA Bruins.

On the third successful pass play of the night by the UCLA Offense, Tight End Caleb Wilson scampered 62 yards for the first Bruins score of the night to make it 21-7 Oregon with 6:45 left in the first half. The Ducks Defense kept the UCLA Offense inside the ten-yard line forcing a punt to the 49 yard line as Oregon took over from there.

On the second play of the Ducks next drive Justin Herbert hit Jacob Breeland for a 27-yard gain to the five yard line as Oregon threatened to score again before the first half came to a close. Kicker Adam Stack missed a chip shot 23-yard field goal that would have extended the lead, but UCLA had other ideas with just over a minute left in the first half.

UCLA attempted a 57-yard field goal kick to end the first half and missed as the score remained 21-7 Oregon with the Bruins opening the second half with the football.

The Oregon Defense kept UCLA out of field goal range to open the second half. The Ducks were looking for a consistent Offensive drive to start the second half. Oregon would start on their own 10-yard line.

On the next UCLA drive, Oregon sacked UCLA Quarterback Thompson-Robinson. Justin Hollins got the sack and also the recovery to the UCLA 7. Three plays later Cyrus Habibi-Likio scored from a yard out to make it 28-7 Oregon with 6:15 left in the third quarter.

In the final minute of the third quarter, Offensive Lineman Jake Hanson was called for targeting on a play that saw Jaylon Redd scamper into the end zone. Oregon lost Hanson for the rest of the game and for the first half next week. Oregon was pushed back to the UCLA 46 yard line with a first down. Dillon Mitchell caught a pass for 7 yards to make it 2nd and 18 as the third quarter came to a close.

(so we jumped back in time after the pass – recently noted was incomplete by the Pac-12 Referee)

The third quarter actually ended with a 10 yard gain to Dillon Mitchell to end the third quarter. Oregon would be forced to punt back to UCLA with 14:53 left in the fourth quarter. The game would be the third straight sellout of the season with just over 56,000 on hand.

On the next Oregon drive, Justin Herbert found Dillon Mitchell for a 67-yard pass for another Oregon touchdown to make it 35-14 Oregon with 10:20 left in the game.

Tony Brooks-James added another score for Oregon as the Ducks won 42-21 to become bowl eligible with six wins on the season. While the Offense was not perfect, they did enough for the victory over UCLA. In the end, UCLA had more yards in the game than Oregon, but three turnovers cost the Bruins.

Oregon heads on the road next to visit a Utah team that lost against Arizona State on Saturday. Salt Lake City is one of the more hostile environments in the Pac-12 South. Gametime between Oregon and Utah will be announced on Monday.

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