Oregon vs. UCLA: Game Preview With TV Schedule

By Connor Muldowney @Connormuldowney on October 8, 2014

Losing their first game of the season in week six, the Oregon Ducks fell to a lesser conference opponent at home because they lost focus of the task at hand — something they seem to do once every season, keeping them from an unbeaten season. Marcus Mariota will look to get his team back on track and lead it to the nation title game.

Also coming off their first loss of the season, the UCLA Bruins are looking to rebound with a win at home against Oregon — something they couldn’t do against Utah in week six. The Bruins have their toughest test of the season in week seven and a win could put them in prime position to contend for a conference title.

Mariota was really the only guy who showed up to play for the Ducks against Arizona in a home loss in week six. The junior quarterback remains one of the few legit Heisman contenders in the nation and his 1,411 yards and 15 touchdowns leads the 16th-best passing offense in the nation. Mariota is completing over 70 percent of his passes and his accuracy is evident with his zero interceptions in 128 pass attempts. The dual-threat quarterback also has 215 yards on the ground to go along with three interceptions. Devon Allen has been Mariota’s favorite target, catching 19 passes for 377 yards and six touchdowns while running back Byron Marshall has excelled catching the ball out of the backfield 24 times for 299 yards and two touchdowns. Marshall also has 213 yards and a score on 8.9 yards per touch while Royce Freeman leads all rushers with 346 yards and five touchdowns.

While Mariota might be one of the few legit Heisman contenders in the nation, UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley is another one of those serious threats to win the coveted trophy. Hundley has been solid this season, passing for 1,310 yards and nine touchdowns while completing 72 percent of his passes; he has added another 122 yards and two rushing touchdowns this season. Jordan Payton has been a reliable receiver for Hundley, catching 31 passes for 491 yards and three touchdowns while the next closest receiver is Thomas Duarte who has 13 catches for 265 yards and two scores. The next two producers in the receiving game, Eldridge Massington and Devin Fuller, have combined for 30 yards for 437 yards and three touchdowns. Paul Perkins has been dynamite in the run game, racking up 540 yards and three touchdowns on 5.7 yards per touch.

Defensively, the Bruins have been one of the least successful units in the Pac-12. The Bruins rank 72nd in points per game while ranking toward the bottom of the nation in total yards per game, giving up about 430 yards per game — most of those have come through the air. Oregon has been a bit less successful in yards allowed per game, allowing 453 per contest, while giving up just 23 points per game — good for 54th in the nation. The Rose Bowl crowd will be electric for this huge Top 25 matchup.

Oregon will travel to UCLA to take on the Bruins at 3:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, Oct. 11. The game will be broadcasted on FOX.

PREDICTION: Oregon 41, UCLA 34

Want to see the Ducks take on the Bruins in week seven? Check out ScoreBig for tickets.

Connor Muldowney is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also reach him at [email protected].