UCLA vs. Oregon Week 8: Live Updates, Highlights, Analysis
No. 9 UCLA football (6-0, 3-0 Pac-12) is playing No. 10 Oregon (5-1, 3-0 Pac-12) in Week 8 of the 2022 college football season, with the Bruins facing off against a ranked opponent for the third game in a row.
Stay tuned for injury and personnel updates, highlights and other key events to keep an eye on all day long.
FINAL: Oregon 45, UCLA 30
3:57 p.m.: The Bruins added a touchdown late, but failed on the onside kick and the Ducks ran out the clock. The undefeated season is no more, and Oregon has now taken sole possession of first place in the Pac-12.
For All Bruins' final wrap of the loss, click HERE.
Oregon continues to convert on 4th down, bury the Bruins
3:17 p.m.: Getting stops on third down hasn't done UCLA much good in the second half, as Oregon has found a way to put up points regardless.
That's exactly what they did when coach Dan Lanning kept his offense out there on 4th-and-4, as Nix found Irving on a wheel route he took 37 yards into the end zone.
UCLA trails 45-23 with 11:37 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Charbonnet finds paydirt after big drive
3:10 p.m.: The Bruins may be down big, but they still aren't turning away from the run.
UCLA marched 69 yards in 10 plays and 2:49 of game clock, using Charbonnet to get most of that production. The former Michigan transfer picked up a 33-yard gain early in the drive, even if an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on linebacker Kain Medrano cost them 15 of those yards.
After Thompson-Robinson found Jake Bobo for an 11-yard pickup on fourth down, Charbonnet rushed for a 27-yards gain, then nearly broke into the end zone on a 3-yarder.
The big back finally got over the goal line the very next play, bringing him up to 130 yards on 16 carries on the day.
UCLA trails 38-23 with 13:56 to go in regulation.
Ducks continue to carve up the Bruins' defense
2:58 p.m.: UCLA may have opened the half with a score, but they didn't maximize the possession and watched Oregon extend their lead.
Barr-Mira hit a 33-yard field goal to make it 31-16 and a two-possession game, only for the Ducks to build their lead back out just moments later.
Oregon faced two fourth downs on its own side of the field, but converted both with runs by Nix. After the Auburn transfer took another keeper 6 yards up the middle, the quarterback delivered a 17-yard strike to tight end Cam McCormick for a touchdown.
The Ducks now lead 38-16 with 1:16 left in the third, since each side's first drive of the half ate up a lot of clock.
HALFTIME: Oregon 31, UCLA 13
2:08 p.m.: The Ducks converted with another 88-yard touchdown drive before the break, and the Bruins officially have their backs against the wall with 30 minutes of game time left on the clock.
TOTAL YARDS: Oregon 347, UCLA 184
PASS YARDS: Oregon 202, UCLA 94
RUSH YARDS: Oregon 145, UCLA 90
FIRST DOWNS: Oregon 20, UCLA 10
PASSING LEADERS
D. Thompson-Robinson (UCLA): 10-of-13, 94 yards, 1 TD
B. Nix (ORE): 17-20, 202 yards, 3 TD
RUSHING LEADERS
Z. Charbonnet (UCLA): 8 carries, 54 yards
B. Irving (ORE): 10 carries, 73 yards
RECEIVING LEADERS
K. Jones (UCLA): 1 reception, 36 yards, 1 TD
T. Franklin (ORE): 8 receptions, 127 yards, 2 TD
Onside kick pays off, Bruins manage to get points back
1:48 p.m.: Oregon getting a touchdown on their bonus possession didn't help UCLA's chances, but the Bruins aren't going away just yet.
It was Jordan James who dove into the end zone from 2 yards out, wrapping up a drive in which the Ducks did not face a single third down. They didn't go for an onside kick the next time out, up 14, and the Bruins were given a chance to answer the back-to-back touchdowns.
Thompson-Robinson hit Bobo for a 19-yard gain, as the Duke transfer made a miraculous one-handed grab.
UCLA made it down to Oregon's 24-yard line, but a loss by Jones and a catch from Allen that went for no gain set up an interesting dilemma for coach Chip Kelly.
Kelly decided to go for the field goal instead of trying to convert the 4th-and-5 situation, and Barr-Mira barely hit it from 44 yards out.
The Bruins trail 24-13 with 3:10 left until half. They will get the ball to start the second half.
Oregon answers with a big-time score of its own
1:27 p.m.: The Bruins aren't the only ones who can rack up long touchdowns.
The Ducks strung together four-straight positive gains to get to midfield without facing a third down, with Irving and Nix doing their dirty work on the ground.
Then Nix uncorked a tear drop, delivering a 49-yard bomb to receiver Troy Franklin. The wideout had gotten a shoulder past cornerback Devin Kirkwood, and that was all the space he needed to get into the end zone on the big gain.
To make matters worse for UCLA, Oregon came out with a surprise onside kick and managed to recover it exactly 10 yards downfield. The Ducks now have the ball near midfield again, leading 17-10 with just over 10 minutes left in the first half.
Keegan Jones turns on the jets to tie it up
1:10 p.m.: After three-straight long drives to start the game, the Bruins changed things up with a long score to knot it at 10 all.
The Bruins barely avoided a three-and-out thanks to an 8-yard catch by receiver Kam Brown, but got a real spark when Charbonnet went for 15, 6 and 6 yards on consecutive plays.
Charbonnet wasn't the running back who made the biggest play on the drive, however, as Thompson-Robinson dumped one off to Jones, who switched into another gear and beat linebacker Justin Flowe for a 36-yard touchdown. That marked the third total touchdown this season for the former high school track champion, and it could have been the fourth if his score on the opening drive wasn't called back due to a penalty.
UCLA and Oregon are all tied up at 10-10 with 12:38 to go in the second quarter.
UCLA unable to get stops on third down, allow TD
1:12 p.m.: The first quarter came to a close before the third drive was even over, and the Ducks opened up the second by taking the lead right back.
It looked like the Bruins would be able to get the ball back to their offense pretty quickly, getting a stuff at the line and forcing a 2-yard loss on a screen to make it 3rd-and-12. Nix escaped the pressure and dumped one off to Irving for an 18-yard gain, and Irving rushed for 11 yards on the very next play.
UCLA seemingly had Oregon on the ropes yet again as the Ducks faced a 3rd-and-5, but Nix got flushed out of the pocket and ran for the first.
On the very first play of the second quarter, Nix faked a screen on the left sideline, then hit tight end Terrance Ferguson for a 17-yard touchdown.
Oregon is up 10-3 with 14:56 left until halftime.
Penalties cost the Bruins points deep in Duck territory
12:58 p.m.: It seemed like UCLA's offense was bound for the end zone the way they opened their first possession, but they wound up falling just short.
The Bruins made it all the way to the Ducks' 25-yard line before they faced a third down, and they improved their Pac-12-best 54.8% conversion rate with a short completion to receiver Kazmeir Allen over the middle.
Running back Zach Charbonnet broke a handful of tackles and made a few catches too, picking up 31 yards on five total touches. Thompson-Robinson completed his first seven passes, with his first incompletion coming on a throw into double coverage towards receiver Josiah Norwood at the goal line.
It looked like the Bruins had bounced back from that ill-advised throw, with Thompson-Robinson rolling out to his right and hitting running back Keegan Jones for a 14-yard touchdown.
The play got called back on a holding by right guard Jon Gaines II, though, and right tackle Garrett DiGiorgio got flagged for a false start to make it an even more difficult third down conversion for the offense. Thompson-Robinson threw one deep to receiver Jake Bobo on 3rd-and-18, and it could have been picked off in the end zone if the three Ducks defenders didn't crash into each other.
Kicker Nicholas Barr-Mira was able to drill a 47-yarder through the uprights, tying the game at 3-3 with 4:09 remaining in the opening frame.
Ducks get on the board first
12:44 p.m.: The Bruins won the toss and deferred to the second half, setting the Ducks up for a quick scoring drive to open the game.
It took four plays for Oregon's offense to get to UCLA's 30-yard line, with quarterback Bo Nix completing his first three passes for 35 yards and running back Bucky Irving going 10 yards for an early first down.
When the Bruins finally forced the Ducks into a third down situation, running back Jordan James trudged his way up the middle for a key 4-yard conversion.
Linebacker Darius Muasau swatted down a pass at the line to set up a 3rd-and-10, though, and cornerback Azizi Hearn and edge rusher Laiatu Latu combined to blow up a pitch option play to force fourth down.
Kicker Camden Lewis barely squeezed the 44-yard try inside the right post, and Oregon went up 3-0 with 10:36 remaining in the first quarter.
UCLA's biggest game of the year just moments away
12:09 p.m.: The Bruins are out on the field, warming up for probably their most important game in a generation.
A win would vault UCLA safely into the College Football Playoff conversation, and it would put them in a great spot when it comes to making the Pac-12 Championship Game or Rose Bowl at the end of the year. A loss wouldn't sink their season, but it would put them in a three-way tie for second the conference standings.
The Bruins appear to be pretty healthy overall, with linebacker JonJon Vaughns standing as one of the few notable players who has been banged up as of late, but he is in full uniform during warmups.
The rain in Eugene has also cleared for the time being, after a wet morning during ESPN's "College GameDay" preview show. The forecast doesn't call for rain to resume until the second half at the earliest, but maybe the age-old adage that "It never rains at Autzen Stadium" is true after all.
There are also 10 NFL scouts in attendance for the game, according to a report from The Oregonian's James Crepea. The Detroit Lions, New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks each have two scouts up in the press box, while the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints and Washington Commanders all sent one.
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