Bruins hold off late Oregon rally
UCLA, ranked No. 21, traveled to Eugene and defeated No. 13 Oregon 17-15 on Saturday, preserving its perfect record and strengthening its case for a Big Ten Championship appearance. The Bruins opened the scoring with a first-quarter field goal, then added touchdowns in the second and fourth quarters to build a 17-6 lead. Oregon managed a touchdown in the first quarter but failed on a two-point conversion attempt, a miss that would prove critical later.[S1]
Oregon played without starting quarterback Dante Moore, who was sidelined by a concussion suffered against USC. Backup Dylan Raiola struggled, completing just 6 of 19 passes for 43 yards and throwing two interceptions. In the fourth quarter, coach Dan Lanning replaced Raiola with senior Brock Thomas. Thomas led the Ducks on a scoring drive, setting up a field goal with just over five minutes remaining, then connected with wide receiver Evan Stewart for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 17-15 with a little over two minutes left.[S1]
Because of the earlier failed two-point conversion, Oregon needed to convert another two-point attempt to tie the game, but the try failed. The Ducks got the ball back with a chance to take the lead, yet UCLA's defense held firm to secure the win. The victory marks a significant road upset for the Bruins and a second loss for the Ducks, with major implications for the rankings, the Big Ten standings, and the College Football Playoff picture.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5]
