Oregon Offensive Keys to the Game vs. UCLA

What does Oregon’s offense need to do to come out of Pasadena with a victory?

Author:
Nick Battey
Publish date:
Oct 21, 2021 9:01 AM EDT

After boos and chants for a quarterback chance rained down inside Autzen Stadium last Friday, the offense responded in the fourth quarter with some huge drives to take home the win against California. Now, against a quality opponent in UCLA, the Ducks will have to play a full 60 minutes like they did against Ohio State leave the Rose Bowl victorious.

Here are three keys as to how Oregon can do that.

1. Let Travis Dye cook

Travis Dye proved against Cal that he can be the focal point of the Oregon offense, accounting for over 200 all-purpose yards. Oregon will likely need a repeat performance from Dye this week as he's now the single best player on offense. UCLA only allows an average of 91 rushing yards a game, so it won’t be easy for Dye to maneuver, especially in between the tackles when weaving his way through a veteran front headlined by big bodies and experience. But between him and the other freshman backs, they’ll need to establish a running game for Anthony Brown to have the freedom to throw downfield.

2. Anthony Brown must play consistent football

Brown responded well to the boo birds at Autzen Stadium, with a dime of a touchdown pass to Jaylon Redd and then a very athletic run that he capped off by diving into the end zone for what ended up being the game-winning touchdown. That will be how Brown needs to play for 60 minutes against UCLA to give Oregon a chance. There can’t be lapses in the offense for three, four, five drives at a time. Brown will need to play more like he did against Ohio State than against Arizona and Stanford for the Ducks to be successful this weekend.

3. Score 35+ points

This goes along with the idea that the Ducks cannot have stints of a full quarter or half where they can’t move the ball on offense. UCLA has scored 34 or more points in every game this season, except for their last game against Washington, who has a good defense but bad offense. For Oregon to keep pace with Chip Kelly’s offense, the Ducks will need to score at least 35 points (and probably more) to win this game.

Consistency and a fast start could go a long way in helping Oregon keep pace with UCLA's offensive attack.

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