Official kickoff time against UCLA Bruins announced

During this off week for Oregon football, many Duck fans were wondering exactly when the Ducks’ next game date would be announced. Next week, Oregon travels to Pasadena, California to face the UCLA Bruins in the Rose Bowl. This contest will mark the official start of in-conference play for Oregon in their first year in the Big Ten Conference.

Tonight, the answer to the question of when the Ducks will play finally emerged. On Saturday, September 28, the 9th-ranked Oregon Ducks will face the UCLA Bruins at 8:00 p.m. PST. You can watch the broadcast of this game on FOX.

The Oregon Ducks come into this matchup against the Bruins with an advantage as they are still undefeated and crushed the Oregon State Beavers 49-14 in their last game in Corvallis, Oregon. UCLA is currently 1-2 and they come into this game after a 17-34 loss to LSU. UCLA also lost to Indiana 42-13 and their only win this season was a close 16-13 win over Hawaii.

After a lackluster performance in games against Hawaii and Indiana, UCLA showed its most promising play of the season in the first half against LSU. Quarterback Ethan Garbers completed 5-6 passes, including a 20-yard touchdown pass on UCLA’s first drive, and had some good long passes in the first half. UCLA’s defense was also able to get some stops against LSU after struggling to stop Indiana the previous week.

The Bruins’ problems began early, however. The Tigers had five sacks on Garbers for 41 yards. UCLA also had problems with penalties, collecting nine for 80 yards of play. In the second quarter, LSU managed a sack and a possession recovery, which set the tone for the rest of the game. UCLA was scoreless after halftime.

Oregon, on the other hand, rebounded strongly against Oregon State last week. Their previous performances against Boise State and Idaho left many fans wondering if their offense, particularly the offensive line and Dillon Gabriel, would ever find a consistent rhythm. In Corvallis, the Ducks showed just that, allowing 7.5 yards per carry (an improvement from 3 yards per carry against Boise State) and Gabriel showed an impressive running game with a 54-yard touchdown to the quarterback keeper. Gabriel was also 20-24, throwing for 291 yards and scoring two touchdowns.

Oregon’s defense was also impeccable in the second half against Oregon State. Bryce Boettcher led the team with 10 total tackles and 4 solo tackles. Tony Tuioti and Brandon Johnson were also instrumental in stopping Oregon State’s running game and keeping them under 200 passing and rushing yards.

In the history of Oregon football vs. UCLA, UCLA holds the winning record with 40-32 wins and losses against Oregon. Oregon last played against UCLA at Autzen Stadium in 2022, winning 45-30. Oregon has won the last four games against UCLA, and their last loss to the Bruins was in 2017.