UCLA Football: Game Preview and Prediction For Big Ten Showdown vs Oregon

The Bruins take on Oregon Saturday night.

Eva Geitheim | 3 Hours Ago

SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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UCLA Bruins

New conference, same foe.

UCLA football will face Oregon on Saturday night for their fourth game of the 2024 regular season. This is UCLA's second Big Ten game of the season but against one of their former Pac-12 rivals in Oregon. The game is also reminiscent of another Pac-12 tradition — Pac-12 After Dark — since it will start at 8 p.m. PT.

This is the Bruins' second of three games going up against a ranked team. The Bruins lost to No. 14 LSU last week, will now go up against No. 8 Oregon on Saturday, and head to Penn State to face the No. 9 Nittany Lions next week.

The Ducks have gotten the better of UCLA as of late. Oregon has defeated UCLA every time they have faced off since 2017. They last beat UCLA 45-30 in 2022.

How to Watch

UCLA-Oregon will begin at 8 p.m. PT. The game will air on FOX Sports, Youtube TV, and the Fubo TV app.

This is UCLA's second game at the Rose Bowl this season, and the first since school started at UCLA, so the Bruins are hoping for a full crowd in Pasadena for the game.

Odds

Oregon is favored over UCLA by -24.5 points, per FanDuel Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 54.5 points.

Key Matchups

Can the Bruins get their pass rush going? The Bruins were unable to get to Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke or LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier over the last two weeks. After UCLA sacked Hawaii quarterback Brayden Schager five times in Week 1, their pass rush has been overpowered by Indiana and LSU's offensive lines.

The Bruins go up against an Oregon offensive line that did not allow a sack last week. With Keanu Williams out for the season, it won't be any easier for UCLA's defensive line.

On the offensive side of the ball, the question remains if the running game gains some momentum. Running backs Keegan Jones and Jalen Berger showed some burst last week, but the running game has not been consistent at all this season. Oregon's defense did allow a huge rushing game to Boise State in Week 2, but Ashton Jeanty is also one of the best backs in college football.

Prediction

Oregon will beat UCLA 38-20. UCLA will get some offense going like they did last week against LSU, but they will not be able to keep up with the Ducks.