Every UCLA football Saturday has so much more to it than a win or a loss. That’s why each postgame Monday, the Daily Bruin will break down the Bruins’ most recent game, outlining the good, the bad and the verdict for their performance.
This week, we take a closer look at UCLA’s 42-30 loss to Oregon on Saturday at the Rose Bowl.
The Good: Rushing offense
Redshirt sophomore running back Paul Perkins had the best game of his career, and redshirt junior quarterback Brett Hundley finally had an effective game as a runner. The two carried UCLA’s offense for most of the game, as Hundley had just 97 passing yards heading into the fourth quarter. Perkins had 187 yards rushing and Hundley added 89, not including a fumble on a sack, which was counted as a loss of 24 rushing yards.
The Bruins finished with 328 yards rushing against an Oregon defense that came into the game allowing an average of about 144 rushing yards per game.
The Bad: Everything else
It’s hard to find many silver linings for UCLA besides the running game.
UCLA struggled with its passing, its 225 passing yards coming mostly in the fourth quarter against Oregon’s prevent defense, which sagged off of receivers.
The Bruins struggled defensively, allowing the Ducks to score 42 points and gain 258 yards on the ground.
On special teams, UCLA missed a field goal and was unable to provide its offense with decent starting field positions after several poor kick returns.
Hundley committed two turnovers deep in UCLA territory, which led to two easy touchdowns for Oregon. He fumbled once, allowing Oregon to recover the ball in UCLA’s red zone, then threw an interception after his receiver stumbled, allowing the Ducks to take over at the Bruins’ 10-yard line.
Penalties were again an issue, with UCLA committing seven, giving away 81 yards in the process. The types of penalties were equally concerning, as UCLA’s frustration was shown in them. Sophomore defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes was flagged for a personal foul and seen punching an Oregon player.
As a whole, the Bruins didn’t show the mental fortitude and composure necessary to beat a team as highly touted as Oregon.
The Verdict: RIP playoff hopes
Now with two losses, UCLA is effectively eliminated from the College Football Playoff, despite many preseason media projections having the Bruins there.
Instead of playoff aspirations, the Bruins will be fighting the rest of the season to stay afloat in the Pac-12 South, their conference record now 1-2. Things don’t get easier either, with UCLA playing next week at Cal – where it hasn’t won in more than 15 years – and then still having to face Arizona, USC, Washington and Stanford.
If UCLA doesn’t rebound, things could get ugly fast.
Player of the Game: Paul Perkins
Perkins seems to get better every game this season, and against Oregon, that was no exception. The redshirt sophomore running back ran for a career-high 187 yards on 22 carries (8.9 yards per carry), providing one of the few consistent sources of offense against a talented Oregon defense.
He wasn’t able to get into the end zone but played a critical role in each of the Bruins’ scoring drives.
Halfway through the season, Perkins now has 727 yards rushing, greatly exceeding his season total of 573 from last year.
Quote of the Game: Sophomore outside linebacker Myles Jack on if expectations affected UCLA
“Honestly, I think it did. It got to the point where obviously we couldn’t ignore it. Everyone was talking about us, everyone had high hopes for us, high expectations. And I mean it did get to a point where we couldn’t ignore it. We could filter it out as much as we want, but at the end of the day you’re gonna hear it. I wouldn’t say we tried to live up to it, but I’m sure it was in the back of our minds.”
Compiled by Kevin Bowman, Bruin senior staff.