Oregon faces UCLA in a pivotal Top 25 showdown on Saturday, but the Ducks aren't just battling the Bruins. The injury bug has started to take its toll on the Ducks, as Dante Moore will miss the game with a concussion, while Aaron Flowers appeared on the first injury report of the Week as doubtful. After losing early in the season, the Ducks don't have the wiggle room to allow injuries to be an excuse for a loss.
This weekend, Dan Lanning and the coaching staff are going to be leaning on some fresh faces to try and deliver another Big Ten win. While some stars may miss the game, the Ducks will lean on those who are playing to step up, and help fill the void.
Can Oregon overcome its missing pieces? 5 X-Factors against UCLA
Dylan Raiola - Quarterback
With Dante Moore out for Saturday’s game, this is truly going to come down to if Dylan Raiola can lead the team to victory. In the win over USC, Raiola exceeded all expectations finishing 19 of 25 for 289 yards and 2 touchdowns without an interception. Through his two appearances for the Ducks, Raiola has played some of the best football of his career.
Dan Lanning said it best, the Ducks don’t need anything special out of Raiola. Oregon has elite playmakers surrounding Raiola, and if he can play the role of a point guard, the Ducks should be able to win this game.
Dierre Hill Jr - Running Back
While Raiola gets a ton of the credit for the win, the second half was dominated by Dierre Hill Jr. The running back rose to the occasion and turned screen passes into massive gains to help the offense put points on the board. Oregon would love a massive showing from the rushing attack, and if Hill can be explosive again it would give the unit a massive lift.
A'Mauri Washington - Defensive Tackle
UCLA’s running back Wayne Knight has been arguably the best player at the position this season, and he’s the Bruins path to victory. Stopping the run starts at the point of attack, and A'Mauri Washington is going to be key for the Ducks in this matchup. Washington played the best game of his season against USC, and repeating that performance will be key this week.
Koi Perich - Safety
Oregon's safety play hasn't met the expectations this season, and it starts with Koi Perich, who came to Eugene as the top ranked safety in the Transfer Portal. This weekend, Perich may be down his running mate, Aaron Flowers, who's listed as doubtful on the injury report. Without Flowers, Perich is going to need to step his play up the rest of the season, and hopefully the game-sealing pick vs. USC will spark a run for the rest of the season.
Devon Jackson - Linebacker
Devon Jackson's performance against USC flew under the radar as the veteran linebacker racked up 9 tackles with a pass breakup. Jackson has risen to the occasion in the Ducks' two biggest games of the year, and another great performance will be needed against this UCLA team. When the defensive line eats up blockers, Oregon is going to need him to come up big once again, stopping the run and forcing the Bruins into passing situations.
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