Oregon Football: 3 reasons the Ducks will beat UCLA in Week 8

It’s been an interesting week in Eugene following an Oregon football win over Cal in which the Ducks needed all four quarters to put the Golden Bears away.

After the win, Mario Cristobal’s team dropped to No. 10 in the country which was disappointing, but he was also the subject of some coaching carousel rumors as Miami fans are hoping he returns home to replace Manny Diaz this offseason and he’s been mentioned in regards to the open position at LSU.

Cristobal likely isn’t going anywhere and he isn’t worried about these potential distractions because he’s in the middle of a national title chase with a huge road game looking him in the eye.

Here’s why the Ducks will pull off a big win over UCLA on Saturday.

3. Travis Dye has proven he can handle RB1 duties

When CJ Verdell went down with a season-ending injury, there were concerns about the running back position that were completely valid. Did Oregon have enough to make up for his loss? Was there depth at running back? Could Travis Dye handle the duties of a workhorse back?

Against Cal in Week 7, some of those questions were answered. Yes, the Ducks have enough to make up for Verdell’s loss and Dye is capable of being a workhorse.

Although he hasn’t had to handle the workhorse duties much throughout his career, he looked built for the job last weekend, rushing for over 140 yards and catching seven passes for 73 yards out of the backfield. He gained some serious confidence and I don’t think there’s a single person doubting him at this point.

Dye has proven he can handle RB1 duties and that’s going to pay major dividends against UCLA on Saturday afternoon.