Offensive line regains footing, Oregon still in control of its destiny
PASADENA, Calif. — Oregon and UCLA were two top-10 teams that had hoped to reach this Pac-12 conference showdown with unbeaten records, leaving both of them as viable options for college football's first playoff, regardless of the outcome.
But then came last week's upsets — Arizona beat Oregon, Utah beat UCLA — and suddenly this game was even more important.
Lose a second game and you can pretty much kiss a playoff berth goodbye.
That's UCLA kissing a championship goodbye and licking its wounds after a thorough shelling by Oregon, which improved to 5-1 (2-1 in the Pac-12 North). The Ducks led throughout the game, surging to a 42-10 lead early in the fourth quarter before allowing three consecutive UCLA touchdowns.
Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Marcus Mariota had a game worth trumpeting: 210 yards and two TDs passing, 75 yards and two TDs running. And freshman Royce Freeman had his first 100-yard rushing game, carrying 18 times for 121 yards and two TDs.
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But it was one of the trench guys — left tackle Jake Fisher — who would have been named one of the game's three stars had it been played on ice.
"I think he's the best offensive lineman in the league, and he played like it today," said Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost. "We hadn't been running the ball up to standards, and today we ran up to our standards."
Fisher missed the past two games, and the Oregon offensive line allowed a combined 12 sacks against Washington State and Arizona, and the Ducks struggled to find a consistent run games.
But Saturday against the Bruins Mariota's uniform after the game looked like it had just been picked up from cleaners. No sacks. And the Ducks, led by Freeman's hard running, gained 328 yards rushing, their best running game of the season.
Fisher, returning from a knee injury, was a big reason.
"Jake gives us some leadership out there we were missing the last couple of weeks," Oregon's offensive line coach Steve Greatwood said. "He brings a calming effect."
He also brings the ability to pound and the willingness to talk about it.
"He plays with an attitude," Greatwood says. "He got into (Bruins linebacker) Myles Jack pretty good."
The Oregon offensive line frustrated the Bruins early so badly that UCLA head coach Jim Mora and Bruins defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich engaging in an animated shouting match on the sideline. Ulbrich seemed to hand his notes to Mora, and then took off his headset. Mora responded by taking Ulrich's head in his hands and appeared to talk calmly through the crisis.
Afterward, Mora downplayed the histrionics.
"We are both very compassionate competitors," Mora said. "If you don't have that fire, something's wrong in this business.
"We're fighting to win. We love each other dearly. I challenged him a little, and he responded."
The added emotion didn't help, though, as Oregon methodically built a 32-point lead.
The Ducks got things going when they sacked Bruins quarterback Brett Hundley for a 24-yard loss and a fumble, which Oregon recovered on the Bruins' 13-yard line.
On the next play, Mariota carried himself — but dropped the ball while moving untouched into a hole in the line.
"I kind of knocked it out of my hands with my knee," Mariota said. "I got lucky, because it came right back to me."
And he took it right in a touchdown.
Oregon never was challenged after that.
For UCLA (4-2, 1-2), it's gut-check time. Can the Bruins, after two losses, regroup to battle for the Pac-12 South title?
For Oregon, it's a familiar theme: chasing a chance at a national title. The Ducks are back in control of their destiny, despite their loss to Arizona. Oregon looked quite a bit healthier this week and has a favorable schedule during the second half, drawing Washington and Stanford at home and missing Southern California. They finish with Utah, Colorado and Oregon State, giving them a strong chance at winning the Pac-12 North and heading into that title game with an 11-1 record.
Too far down the road for Mariota to think about.
"We're not going to take this win and be big-headed about it," he said. "It's just one more win for us."