EUGENE, Ore. — UCLA weathered a quarterback injury, a turnover-filled afternoon and a late Oregon rally to preserve its unbeaten record Saturday, defeating the 13th-ranked Ducks 17-15 in a hard-fought Big Ten matchup.
Wayne Knight played a pivotal role for the 21st-ranked Bruins, rushing for 103 yards and a touchdown before catching a fourth-quarter scoring pass from backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach. UCLA improved to 5-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play, while Oregon dropped to 3-2 and 1-1.
The game featured 10 combined turnovers, including seven by Oregon, as both teams struggled to maintain possession. The Ducks had several opportunities to seize control but repeatedly gave the ball away, ultimately watching their comeback attempt fall short.
“From the start, we came out, we punched them, and we just kept on going,” Knight said. “We had a couple of mishaps, but we bounced back every single time.”
UCLA Adjusts After Losing Iamaleava
The Bruins faced a significant challenge when starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava suffered a lower-leg injury late in the first half and did not return after halftime.
Before leaving the game, Iamaleava completed 10 of 17 passes for 162 yards but threw two interceptions. Dieffenbach took over the offense and completed the task at hand, throwing for 43 yards and a touchdown while helping UCLA maintain its advantage.
Head coach Bob Chesney praised Dieffenbach for being prepared when his opportunity arrived.
“When someone goes down and someone’s got to step up, I say it every single time, is that you’re either exposed or you’re revealed, right? One of the two is gonna happen,” Chesney said. He credited Dieffenbach for understanding the running game and making the necessary adjustments when Iamaleava could no longer continue.
UCLA opened the game with a promising drive that reached the Oregon 2-yard line, but the Bruins settled for Mateen Bhaghani’s 21-yard field goal and an early 3-0 lead.
Oregon answered after recovering a fumble by Iamaleava at the UCLA 1-yard line. On the Ducks’ first offensive play following the recovery, Jordon Davison powered into the end zone on a one-yard run, giving Oregon a 7-3 advantage.
Both defenses continued to force mistakes as the first half unfolded. Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola was intercepted late in the half, and Iamaleava threw an interception on UCLA’s ensuing possession.
Despite the turnovers, Oregon carried a narrow lead into the break.
Knight Provides the Spark
The Bruins regained momentum in the third quarter after Raiola was sacked and lost a fumble. UCLA capitalized on the turnover when Knight broke free for a 35-yard touchdown run, putting the Bruins ahead 10-6.
The score marked Knight’s 10th rushing touchdown of the season and gave UCLA the lead in a game where every possession mattered.
UCLA had a chance to extend its advantage, but Oregon defensive lineman Matayo Uiagalelei blocked Bhaghani’s 27-yard field-goal attempt, keeping the Ducks within striking distance.
Oregon was also forced to adjust at quarterback. Raiola was making his first start for the Ducks after transferring from Nebraska during the offseason, filling in for Dante Moore, who remained in concussion protocol after suffering a head injury in the Sept. 26 victory over USC.
Raiola had thrown for 289 yards and two touchdowns against USC, but his performance against UCLA proved far more difficult. He completed just six of 18 passes for 43 yards and two interceptions before giving way to Brock Thomas in the fourth quarter.
Bruins Withstand Oregon’s Late Push
Early in the fourth quarter, Dieffenbach connected with Knight on a nine-yard touchdown pass, extending UCLA’s lead to 17-6 and giving the Bruins some breathing room.
Oregon responded with a 26-yard field goal by Gage Hurych, trimming the deficit to 17-9 with 5:16 remaining.
The Ducks continued to fight and moved closer when Thomas connected with Evan Stewart for a 44-yard touchdown pass with 2:16 left on the clock. Oregon trailed 17-15 and elected to attempt a two-point conversion.
A UCLA facemask penalty gave the Ducks another opportunity from just a half-yard away after their initial attempt. However, the Bruins’ defense stood firm, stopping Davison short of the goal line to preserve the two-point lead.
Oregon still had one final chance to complete the comeback, but a lost fumble on its last possession ended the threat as time expired.
The late mistakes left head coach Dan Lanning frustrated with his team’s inability to protect the football.
“You’ve got to protect the ball, right? You can coach it and you can say it, but if it shows up, you’re not coaching it well enough. You’re not doing a good enough job there,” Lanning said.
Raiola also accepted responsibility for his performance.
“The product we put out there, the product I put out there, I’ve got to live with that,” Raiola said. “So I’ve got to own everything, take it on the chin and move forward.”
Turnovers Prove Costly for Oregon
Oregon’s seven turnovers proved too much to overcome against an opportunistic UCLA defense. The Bruins entered the game with 10 interceptions on the season, the most in the nation, and continued to make life difficult for opposing quarterbacks.
For UCLA, the victory demonstrated resilience. The Bruins lost their starting quarterback, struggled with possession at times and still found enough offense and defensive resolve to leave Eugene with a win over a ranked opponent.
Oregon, meanwhile, will need to clean up its ball security and improve its quarterback play to remain in contention for a College Football Playoff berth. With a second loss on its record, the Ducks have less room for error as the conference schedule continues.
Up Next:
UCLA returns home next Saturday to host Wisconsin, which had a bye this weekend.
Oregon will look to rebound when it hosts Nebraska next Saturday. The Cornhuskers enter the matchup after suffering a 20-17 loss to Indiana.
