College Football Preview – UCLA Bruins vs. Oregon Ducks

For the first time all season, College Gameday will head west to feature a showdown between two Pac 12 teams. The No. 10 Oregon Ducks and UCLA Bruins are the favorites in their respective divisions. Oregon showed it was a contender when it went on the road and beat Ohio State, and UCLA is probably the team to beat in the Pac 12 South although they lost at home to Arizona State.

The Oregon Ducks will head south to play in one of the most historic venues in college football when they take on the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. This game will take place on Saturday, October 23, 2021, at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

College Football Betting Odds

Oregon +1

UCLA -1

Total 60.5

Although Oregon is ranked in the top ten, UCLA is a short favorite at home despite being unranked. The Bruins match up well with the Ducks, and they have already knocked off LSU and three Pac 12 foes this season. Their only poor performance came against Arizona State.

Oregon looked dominant in its win over Ohio State, but the Ducks have been relatively mediocre the last couple weeks. They lost on the road to Stanford to ensure the Pac 12 will not have a College Football Playoff representative once more, and they needed a goal line stand to beat Cal last week.

When UCLA Has the Ball

Dorian Thompson-Robinson has been superb for UCLA this season. Thompson-Robinson is thriving in Chip Kelly’s offense, completing 60.8% of his passes for 8.5 YPA with 13 touchdowns and two interceptions. He is a legitimate mobile threat too, helping UCLA’s offense move the chains on the ground.

The Bruins are averaging 5.0 YPC. Zach Charbonnet and Brittain Brown are leading the way with 6.4 YPC apiece, and that’s why UCLA has run for more than 1,500 yards this year. Tight end Greg Dulcich and Kyle Philips are the two top options in the passing game, but neither player has more than 25 receptions.

Oregon has a decent defense, but the Ducks have allowed almost 300 YPG through the air. There isn’t much talent on this side of the ball aside from future top ten pick Kayvon Thibodeaux though.

When Oregon Has the Ball

Anthony Brown has repeatedly proven that he is not a great passer. He is completing less than 60% of his passes, stymying Oregon’s offense. The Ducks would be superb on offense if Brown could consistently hit targets down the field, but they still have a ground game that is the envy of most programs.

The Ducks lost C.J. Verdell for the remainder of the 2021 season in early October, but they still have Travis Dye. Dye leads Oregon with 527 yards and four touchdowns, and he is averaging 6.7 YPC. That’s why Oregon is averaging 5.1 YPC.

UCLA matches up great with this offense. The Bruins have been superb at stopping the run, surrendering 3.2 YPC and 95.3 YPG. They have struggled to stop good passers, but Brown isn’t one of them.

Prediction

This is a great spot to bet UCLA. The Bruins are playing at home, and they match up very well against the Ducks. Chip Kelly has yet to defeat his former team, but he will get it done on Saturday.

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