UCLA vs. Oregon Week 8: How to Watch, Game Info, Betting Odds
The Bruins will host not only the Ducks, but also ESPN's College GameDay crew, on Saturday with a chance to prove themselves in the Pac-12 standings and on a national stage.
WHO: UCLA vs. No. 10 Oregon
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 23
TIME: 12:30 p.m. PT
LOCATION: Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, CA
TV: ESPN – Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), Holly Rowe (sideline reporter)
STREAMING: fuboTV – Get 7-day Free Trial
RADIO: AM 1150/AM 570, Sirius Ch. 111, XM Ch. 197, SXM App 957 – Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Matt Stevens (analyst), Wayne Cook (sideline reporter)
SPREAD: UCLA -1 (-105), Oregon +1 (-110)*
MONEY LINE: UCLA (-110), Oregon (-105)*
OVER/UNDER: O 61.5 (-105), U 61.5 (-110)*
UCLA did not appear in the AP or Coaches Poll top 25 this week following its win over Washington, although it did earn a few votes from the press and is a few spots out from the official rankings. Oregon, which had been ranked as high as No. 3, has continued to slip down to No. 10.
The Bruins have opened their season 5-2, covering the spread in all five of their wins and failing to cover in each of their losses. At home, UCLA is 2-2 straight up and 2-2 against the spread.
Oregon is 5-1 to start 2021, with its biggest win coming against Ohio State and its lone loss coming at the hands of Stanford. The Ducks have just one win against the spread this year, and it came when they upset the Buckeyes as a 14.5-point underdog.
Only two of UCLA's seven contests this year has resulted in over 61 combined points. Oregon has also seen two of its six games exceed that mark..
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson has reclaimed the No. 1 spot on the Pac-12 passer rating leaderboards, and he has extended his lead at the top for touchdowns responsible for with 18. The senior signal-caller has turned the ball over just three times in seven games this season after never averaging fewer than one giveaway a game in any of his previous three campaigns.
Running back Zach Charbonnet continues to get more reps and carries than Brittain Brown, but combined, the two form the best backfield duo in the conference. Both ball-carriers rank in the top 5 in the Pac-12 for yards per attempt and total yards. Receiver Kyle Philips, even after missing the Washington game, still leads the Pac-12 in touchdown catches and ranks seventh in receiving yards, with tight end Greg Dulcich one spot ahead of him in sixth.
Linebacker Bo Calvert ranks in the conference's top 10 in both tackles for loss and sacks, while edge rusher Mitchell Agude is still tied for the top spot in the nation in forced fumbles with four. Safety Qwuantrezz Knight is tied with Calvert for the team lead in tackles for loss with 5.5 in seven games and also leads the team in total tackles with 40.
UCLA averages 33.6 points per game while allowing 25.1.
Oregon is averaging 33.8 points per game, ranking No. 33 in the country. Its defense, which is allowing 21.0 points per game, ranks just one spot outside the top 40.
Quarterback Anthony Brown has his worst passer rating since his sophomore year at Boston College in 2018, with his 141.7 mark ranking No. 7 in the Pac-12. Although he has thrown just one pick, his completion percentage of 59.2 – good for 10th-best in the conference – actually raised his career completion percentage to 55.9%. On the ground, Brown has scored five touchdowns and his his team's second-leader active rusher.
Running back CJ Verdell was Oregon's leading rusher, but his season-ending injury has set up Travis Dye to take the reigns instead. The replacement Dye has actually seen better efficiency than Verdell, averaging more yards per carry than both Charbonnet and Brown at 6.7. Dye also has the most receptions and second-most receiving yards on his team, so he is going to be very active in all aspects of the game coming out of the backfield.
Wide receiver Johnny Johnson III is the most prolific pass-catcher the Ducks have, although his one touchdown and 200 yards don't stand out as anything special. He hasn't scored or broken the 45-yard mark in a game since Week 1 against Fresno State. Kris Hutson, Devon Williams and Mycah Pittman are the next leading wideouts on the roster, and they're combining to average just 67.2 yards per game.
The two biggest names Oregon brings to the table on defense are edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and linebacker Noah Sewell. The former is expected to be a top-five pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and got pressure on the quarterback on 50% of his snaps against Cal last week, while the latter is third in the conference in tackles while also leading the Ducks in sacks and tackles for a loss as the reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Week. Safeties Bennett Williams and Verone McKinley III each have three interceptions so far this season, but Williams is going to be out for an extended period and won't play Saturday.
Oregon has outgained its opponents in four of its six games, but still won both the games in which it didn't win the yardage battle. On the season, the Ducks are only averaging 18.8 more yards per game than their opponents.
UCLA owns the all-time head-to-head series with Oregon 39-30, although it has lost 13 of the 16 matchups since the turn of the century. The Bruins did manage to win the last time they played the Ducks at home, and the teams have split their last four matchups at the Rose Bowl.
Most recently, UCLA lost to Oregon 38-35 at Autzen Stadium in 2020 with Thompson-Robinson and several others out due to COVID-19 protocols. Backup Chase Griffin nearly led his team to a win that day, only for a pick-six and failed fourth down conversion to seal their fate.
*Odds via SI Sportsbook
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