Pac-12 showdown pits Ducks against Bruins

Oct 8, 2014 - 3:05 PM Pasadena, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - A pair of Pac-12 Conference teams coming off upset losses will settle their differences on Saturday afternoon when the 12th-ranked Oregon Ducks pay a visit to the 18th-ranked UCLA Bruins.

For the second year in a row, the Ducks had a game spoiled by Arizona, falling 31-24 at home to the Wildcats last Thursday. The setback may not have completely ruined the Ducks' Pac-12 title hopes, but it was certainly a tough blow to take. Oregon, which is 4-1 on the season, must now be close to perfect going forward.

"We left a lot of points and plays on the board, but that's football. The locker room is positive. We're ready to move on, get back together and get it going," Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota said, while taking the bulk of the blame for the loss. "I just have to learn from my mistakes. We had a lot of miscommunication errors and, obviously the turnovers. That's on me. That's stuff I can always get better on."

UCLA also lost to an unranked opponent and now finds itself in desperate need of a win to remain on track for a possible shot at the claiming the conference crown. Following a 62-27 trouncing of Arizona State, the Bruins appeared to be on pace to enter this contest 5-0, but Utah had other plans, handing the hosts a 30-28 setback last Saturday. The loss was the first in five games for the Bruins.

Oregon punished UCLA last season, rolling to a 42-14 victory at home. The win was the fifth straight for the Ducks in the series, which the Bruins hold a 39-27 advantage.

There has been a breakdown in protection for Mariota in the last two games. The highly-skilled Oregon signal caller has been brought down behind the line of scrimmage 12 times in the last two games after suffering only three sacks in the first three. Although he has been under more pressure, Mariota is still playing up to his lofty standards, completing 71.1 percent of his passes for 1,411 yards and 15 touchdowns, while maintaining a goose egg in the interception column.

Mariota's ability to run the ball is also well documented, but he finished with just a single rushing yard against Arizona, after tallying at least 40 in the first four games of the season. The rest of Oregon's vaunted rushing attack also had some issues. Royce Freeman finished with 85 yards on 19 carries and Thomas Tyner had 46 on 10 totes. Freeman leads the team in rushing (346 yards, five TDs), and is one of four players with at least 200 yards.

The weapons at Mariota's disposal are also solid in the passing game. Devon Allen (19 receptions, 377 yards, six TDs) and Keanon Lowe (17 receptions, 266 yards, four TDs) are the top wideouts, with running back Byron Marshall (24 receptions, 299 yards, two TDs) a potent contributor out of the backfield.

Oregon is still an offensive powerhouse, but not the dominant one in the conference, ranking fifth right now in yardage (533.4 ypg).

The team really needs to make improvements on defense as well. Although foes are averaging only 23.2 points per game, the Ducks are being lit up for 453.8 yards each week, which is the second-worst mark in the Pac-12. Reggie Daniels (35 tackles) leads the team in tackles, while Erick Dargan (27 tackles, three INTs) anchors a talented secondary.

UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley also took a ton of sacks last weekend, falling 10 times to Utah's pass rush. Part of the blame lies on the offensive line, but Hundley is a guilty party as well, holding on to the ball for too long at times.

"I'll say it again and until the day that I die or get out of football. Sacks are a component of all 11 [players]," UCLA head coach Jim Mora said. "Sometimes it's a rush, sometimes you get beat, and sometimes the quarterback holds it for too long. It's a function of all of those things."

Hundley is having a solid season despite being battered quite often. He is completing 72.8 percent of his pass attempts and has a strong touchdown (nine) to interception (two) ratio to go with 1,310 passing yards. He has also rushed for 122 yards and two scores.

Jordan Payton has developed into one of the better receiving threats in the Pac-12, and is easily the most targeted player for the Bruins. He leads the squad in receptions (31), yards (491) and touchdown catches (three). Devin Fuller (21 receptions, 204 yards, TD) is second in receptions and yards.

The running game is in good hands with Paul Perkins receiving the bulk of the work. Perkins has amassed 540 yards and three touchdowns on 94 carries, leading the Bruins by far in each category.

Despite losing to Utah, the Bruins did manage to hold a 406-342 edge in total yards. UCLA has had some success on defense for most of the season, allowing 429 yards and 25.8 points per game. However, the Bruins have really struggled to create negative plays, ranking last in the league in sacks (seven) and next-to-last in tackles for loss (26).