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Oregon Ducks vs. UCLA Bruins: 2024 summer preview and prediction

The Oregon Ducks and the UCLA Bruins will face off in the Big Ten this season. Here's what we need to know about the game.

By Ethan Lee

Oregon players celebrate a touchdown as the Oregon Ducks take on the UCLA Bruins Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.
Oregon players celebrate a touchdown as the Oregon Ducks take on the UCLA Bruins Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA
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Desptie the fact that Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks football team won’t be in the Big Ten anymore, we’ll stil lget to see some familiar matchups on the 2024 Oregon football schedule. Like the Ducks’ first Big Ten game of the season. 

That’s when we get to see the Ducks head to a familiar stadium to meet up with a familiar foe (though all within an unfamiliar conference). That’s right, we get to see the Ducks face off against the UCLA Bruins in their Big Ten conference opener. 

The matchup features former Pac-12 rivals (now rivals in the Big Ten?) and this could be a fascinating matchup. Let’s take a look at the two teams involved.

Oregon Ducks vs. UCLA Bruins historical context

Dating back nearly a century, the Oregon football program shares a pretty rich history with the UCLA Bruins. The first time these two teams met was all the way back on November 29, 1928 when the Ducks won 26-6. Since then, the two teams have faced each other a total of 72 times. Heading into this season, UCLA holds a slight 40-32 advantage over Oregon.

That said, it’s worth noting that recent history favors the Ducks here. In recent years, Oregon has managed to win nine of the last ten matchups, which includes a rather solid 45-30 win back in 2022 (the most recent meeting). Oregon managed to beat UCLA 60-13 back in 2010 for the largest margin of victory in the series history.

Current program trajectories

That’s enough of the past. Where are these teams standing right now?

The Oregon Ducks enter the 2024 Oregon football season with legit national title aspirations. Dan Lanning enters his third year as a head coach having very quickly established himself as one of the best young coaches in America and he’s put together a talent-rich roster primed for a playoff run.

Meanwhile, the UCLA Bruins are in a bit of a state of transition. When Chip Kelly surprisingly left the Bruins, DeShaun Foster stepped in as the new head coach and he’s taking over a program that seems to have plateaued a bit at around eight wins a season under Kelly’s leadership. Can he continue to elevate the program that Kelly helped reestablish? 

Oregon football vs. UCLA summer preview, prediction 

So, it’s worth noting that UCLA will have a home field advantage here given that this game will be played in the Rose Bowl. That can’t be ignored. Still, the Oregon Ducks have a ton of firepower on offense and it seems very plausible that they outscore the Bruins in this matchup. 

Oregon’s offensive versatility and the immense amount of talent on the defensive side of things should prove the difference in this contest. 

Score prediction: Oregon 45, UCLA 27

Expect the Ducks to come out on top of this Big Ten debut, which should further set the stage for what could be a special season in Eugene. On the UCLA side of things, this will be a good measuring stick to see exactly where the Bruins are as they figure out how to move forward under Foster’s leadership.

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