Which Pac-12 elite will be able to achieve redemption? Oregon and UCLA, fresh off their first losses of the season, will square off in Los Angeles Saturday afternoon in a game that has lost a considerable amount of muster in the past seven days.
How to watch Oregon vs. UCLA: Game guide, TV schedule, streaming, odds
Two of the Pac-12’s contenders lost for the first time in Week 6. Which will rebound with a victory?
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The Ducks opened their season with four straight victories, the most impressive of which coming over Michigan State -- a team with a strong defensive front that Oregon was nonetheless able to overcome and rally for a strong fourth quarter. Against Arizona -- a team with not as strong of a defensive front -- the Ducks struggled to keep their backfield uncrowded, leaving Marcus Mariota with an inordinate amount of pressure to deal with and a 31-24 loss.
UCLA did not have quite the statement win that Oregon was able to accomplish, and the Bruins struggled in their first three games against solid competition. Jim Mora’s squad beat Virginia, Memphis and Texas each by one score, before finally showing what many expected them to be in an explosive 62-27 victory at Arizona State. That all fell to shambles last week, when the Bruins lost at home to Utah 30-28.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Online streaming: Fox Sports Go
The numbers
Rankings and records: Oregon is ranked No. 12 in the AP Poll and No. 11 in the Coaches Poll. UCLA is ranked No. 18 in the AP Poll and No. 17 in the Coaches Poll. Both teams are 4-1, with 1-1 records in Pac-12 play. The Bruins hold a 38-27 lead in the all-time series between the two schools, but the Ducks have won the last five in a row.
Vegas: Oregon opened as a 3-point favorite. The line has since moved to 2.5.
Weather forecast: 84 degrees and sunny.
Two things at stake
The winner of this game will remain in both the Pac-12 and (just slightly) playoff pictures.
The loser will likely be knocked out of both.
One big matchup
UCLA front seven vs. Oregon offensive line. Between Myles Jack (37 tackles) and Eric Kendricks (58 tackles, one fumble forced, one interception), UCLA has two of the best playmakers in the nation at linebacker. Throw in Deon Hollins (three sacks) and defensive linemen Kenny Clark (27 tackles) and Eddie Vanderdoes (four tackles for a loss), and you've got one of the best units in the country.
The Ducks struggled to contain Arizona’s pass rush in their loss, and their banged-up offensive line unit failed to give Marcus Mariota and Oregon’s other playmakers enough time to do anything with the ball. Faced against an aggressive and talented unit like UCLA’s, it could be another disappointing day for the Duck offense.
Further reading
For full coverage of Oregon, head to Addicted to Quack. For more on UCLA, check out Bruins Nation.
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