EUGENE, Ore. - UCLA didn’t need style points on Saturday. It needed a win, and it got one the hard way.
Wayne Knight powered the No. 21 Bruins past No.
13 Oregon 17-15, piling up 103 rushing yards on 22 carries while scoring once on the ground and once through the air. UCLA stayed unbeaten at 5-0, 1-0 in the Big Ten, even after losing starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava to a lower leg injury late in the opening half.
The game was messy from the start and never really cleaned up. There were 10 turnovers overall, seven of them by Oregon, and the Ducks’ playoff hopes took a serious hit with their second loss of the season.
UCLA’s defense sealed it in the final seconds. Oregon cut the lead to 17-15 on Evan Stewart’s 44-yard touchdown catch from Brock Thomas with 2:16 remaining, then got another crack at the two-point conversion after UCLA was flagged for a facemask. From a half yard out, the Ducks tried to muscle Jordon Davison through the line, but UCLA stuffed him cold.
Oregon still had one more possession, but a late fumble ended that threat and the clock ran out on the Ducks.
Knight was the difference all afternoon. His 35-yard touchdown run in the third quarter put UCLA ahead 10-6, and then he finished a fourth-quarter drive with a 9-yard touchdown catch from backup Ty Dieffenbach to make it 17-6. Dieffenbach, who took over for Iamaleava, threw for 43 yards and that score.
Iamaleava’s day ended after he went 10 of 17 for 162 yards and two interceptions. He did not return for the second half.
Oregon’s quarterback situation was just as unsettled. Dylan Raiola got the start with Dante Moore still in concussion protocol after being hurt against USC on Sept.
- Raiola, who transferred from Nebraska in the offseason, became the first backup quarterback to start for Oregon since Braxton Burmeister in 2017.
But the Ducks never found a rhythm with him. Raiola completed just six of 18 passes for 43 yards and two interceptions before Thomas replaced him in the fourth quarter. UCLA’s defense has now piled up 10 interceptions this season, the most in the nation.
The Bruins opened with an early march to the Oregon 2, but settled for Mateen Bhaghani’s 21-yard field goal. Oregon answered after Iamaleava was sacked and fumbled on the UCLA 1, with Davison punching in a 1-yard touchdown on the Ducks’ first snap of the possession to put Oregon in front 7-3.
UCLA also saw a scoring chance disappear when Matayo Uiagalelei blocked Bhaghani’s 27-yard field goal attempt. And before halftime, Iamaleava was brought down by Bear Alexander and Jerry Mixon on a keeper, though he briefly returned before exiting for good after the break.
Oregon got a late first-half interception after Raiola was picked off, but the Ducks couldn’t turn the extra chances into enough points. Gage Hurych’s 26-yard field goal with 5:16 left trimmed the margin to 17-9, but Oregon never got over the top.
The Ducks were also without starting safety Aaron Flowers, who had been listed as doubtful earlier in the week with an undisclosed injury.
UCLA returns home to face Wisconsin next Saturday. Oregon hosts Nebraska next Saturday.
In Other News...
Oregon's Quarterback Crisis Just Got Harder To Ignore
Oregons quarterback situation was already under a bright enough spotlight with Dante Moore sidelined by a concussion, and the fourth quarter against UCLA only sharpened the concerns. After Dylan Raiola struggled with turnovers, Dan Lanning turned to Brock Thomas, a move that underscored how little margin the Ducks had as the offense searched for a rhythm. Even with a touchdown and a field goal on the board, the Ducks were still chasing the game late.
The trouble was not just the score, but the way the offense kept putting itself in difficult spots. Multiple turnovers and other offensive issues left Oregon trailing 17-9 entering the fourth quarter, and the shuffle under center made the depth chart feel unsettled at a moment when stability mattered most. For a team built to compete at the top of the conference, the quarterback conversation is suddenly becoming impossible to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Win Now Comes With A Big Ten Question For Bear Alexander
Oregons win over UCLA is already producing a bigger aftershock than the final score, because a viral clip from the game has put defensive tackle Bear Alexander in the middle of a possible Big Ten review. The video appears to show Alexander striking Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava during a tackle, and Iamaleava later left with a lower body injury, leaving the play under fresh scrutiny as the conference weighs its next step.
The Big Ten has a sportsmanship policy that can allow for discipline in cases like this, and Oregon is waiting to see whether the league decides to act. The situation also lands in a sensitive spot for Dan Lanning, who recently condemned a similar incident involving another player, making the conferences response to Alexanders case the next development that could shape how the aftermath of the game is remembered. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Heads To Nebraska With A Quarterback Problem And Bigger Questions
The late push from Brock Thomas gave Oregon something to hang onto after a 17-15 loss to No. 21 UCLA, but it also left the Ducks with a familiar kind of uncertainty as they head to Nebraska. Thomas stepped in for starter Dylan Raiola in the fourth quarter and helped lead scoring drives, yet the bigger picture was hard to ignore: turnovers, penalties and offensive line problems kept the offense from ever finding a steady rhythm, even as the defense did enough to keep the game within reach.
Now the attention shifts to the quarterback picture, and it is not getting any clearer. Oregon could also be waiting on the possible return of Dante Moore from injury, which only adds another layer to a situation already made messy by the loss to UCLA. The Ducks leave with a hard-earned defensive performance to build on, but with the offense still searching for answers, the trip to Nebraska feels like a test of both depth and direction. [Read more 🡒]