UCLA football (1-2, 0-1 Big Ten) is heading back to the Rose Bowl to face a familiar foe – No. 8 Oregon (3-0). With the Ducks and Bruins now part of the Big Ten, one team will walk away with its first conference win Saturday night. Here is this week’s scouting report from assistant Sports editor Kai Dizon – who will be watching late into the night.
Oregon’s Offense:
Offensive scheme: Spread Option
Run-pass percentage: 51.7% Run, 48.3% Pass
Strength: Pass Game
Weakness: Offensive Line
X-factor: QB Dillon Gabriel
With former quarterback Bo Nix off to the NFL, the Ducks reached back into the transfer portal for their new signal caller, snagging Gabriel from Oklahoma.
Gabriel’s brief time with Oregon has been nothing short of impressive. Through three games, the Mililani, Hawaii, local boasts a 186.8 passer rating, 84% completion percentage and eight total touchdowns, leading the Ducks to three straight victories and a top-10 national ranking.
With Gabriel doing the heavy lifting, the Ducks are averaging the third most passing yards per game in the Big Ten. Overall, Oregon is ranked fifth in the conference in points per game.
The only caveat to Gabriel’s performance – which could be said about the Ducks as a whole – is that he’s yet to face a Power Four opponent, having only battled Idaho, Boise State and Oregon State so far.
The Ducks’ backup quarterback is none other than Dante Moore, the former five-star recruit who left UCLA last winter. Moore’s contributions have been limited to three pass attempts, though he’s completed all of them.
Oregon has a quartet of wideouts averaging more than 150 receiving yards – for reference, UCLA has just one in sophomore Rico Flores Jr. – but it’s wide receiver Tez Johnson who leads the Ducks with 190 yards and two touchdowns on 22 receptions.
The rest on the list are Terrance Ferguson with 159 yards, Traeshon Holden with 154 and Evan Stewart with 153.
Running back Jordan James is the Ducks’ lead rushing threat. The Nashville, Tennessee, local paces the team with 283 yards on the ground, lapping second-place running back Noah Whittington, who has 118.
That shallow supporting cast has left Oregon at sixth worst in the conference by rushing yards per game.
The key for the Bruins could be to put pressure on Gabriel and disrupt his passing. The Ducks’ offensive line has allowed Gabriel to be sacked seven times through three games, or an average of 2.33 sacks per game – 30th highest in the nation.
Oregon’s Defense
Defensive scheme: 4-2-5, 4-3
Strength: Passing Defense
Weakness: Rushing Defense
X-factor: LB Matayo Uiagalelei
The Ducks have been mediocre at best by yards allowed per game – ranked eighth among Big Ten teams.
And they’re similarly middle of the road in pass defense – 11th in the conference – but their conspicuous weakness is their rushing defense, allowing 133.7 yards per game for fifth worst in the Big Ten.
Given Oregon’s lackluster defense against the run, UCLA could finally get its ground game going. Currently, the Bruins’ rushing offense is dead last in the Big Ten at 60.3 yards per game. The next worst is Minnesota’s at nearly double – 117.3 yards per game.
A few bright spots in the Oregon defense, however, is the trio of offensive lineman Jordan Burch and linebackers Matayo Uiagalelei and Bryce Boettcher.
Boettcher leads the team with 25 total tackles – 12 more than second place. On the gridiron, Boettcher made the move from defensive back to linebacker last season and looks to have settled in this season.
A former Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honoree, Uiagalelei continues to play well in 2024, with a team-leading two sacks, two tackles for loss and one forced fumble.
Playing defensive end for the Ducks, Burch leads the Ducks with 2.5 tackles for loss while accumulating 1.5 sacks. The 2023 All-Pac-12 honorable mention also has 13 total tackles and four passes defended.
While Oregon’s most recent win was a 49-14 clobbering of Oregon State, Boise State – which UCLA defeated in the 2023 LA Bowl – lost by a last-second field goal. Despite the team’s top-10 ranking and spotless 2024 record, Oregon isn’t impossible to beat – but it will take UCLA to play a full and complete football game.
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