EUGENE, Ore.—Special teams mistakes defined the Bruins’ first half on Saturday night as they trail 21-7 heading into the locker room.
After coming up with a defensive stop on UCLA’s (2-6, 2-3 Pac-12) opening drive, Oregon (5-3, 2-3) opened the scoring with a 56-yard punt return touchdown from defensive back Ugochukwu Amadi.
The Ducks continued their dominance on special teams by converting on a fake field goal to keep their third drive of the night alive. Placeholder Blake Maimone kept the ball and rolled to his right, finding a wide-open Jacob Breeland for a first down.
Oregon capped off the scoring drive a few plays later when running back CJ Verdell rumbled into the end zone from a yard out to put the Ducks ahead 14-0. Verdell ended the half with 52 yards on 18 carries.
Special teams woes hurt UCLA again early in the second quarter after redshirt senior defensive back Adarius Pickett muffed his second punt in three weeks. Oregon recovered the ball at the UCLA 11-yard line, setting up a four-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Justin Herbert to wide receiver Dillon Mitchell to give the Ducks a 21-0 advantage.
Herbert – arguably the top quarterback prospect in the nation – suited up for Oregon after his status remained unknown up until kickoff. He finished the first half 12-of-21 through the air for 166 yards and one touchdown with a 139.3 passer rating.
For UCLA, quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson returned to the starting lineup after missing Oct. 26’s contest against Utah with a shoulder injury. The freshman completed just one of his first seven pass attempts and threw an interception in the end zone on the Bruins’ second possession of the night.
Thompson-Robinson did, however, connect with redshirt junior tight end Caleb Wilson midway through the second quarter for a 63-yard touchdown to get UCLA back within 14 points. The touchdown was Wilson’s second of the season.
The Bruins also fared well in the run game, outrushing the Ducks 126-65 in the first half. Redshirt junior Joshua Kelley led the way for UCLA with 84 yards on 11 carries.