UCLA defeats No. 13 Oregon, stays undefeated

UCLA secured a massive 17-15 victory against Oregon on Saturday to stay undefeated all year long while pushing hard for a Big Ten Championship spot. The No. 21 Bruins traveled to Eugene specifically to challenge the highly ranked No. 13 Ducks in this crucial matchup. Readers should note that this story contains affiliate links to legal sports betting partners, meaning FOX News might get paid if you sign up or place a wager. Please know this content was built by a team working independently from the main FOX newsroom.

Oregon started without their starting quarterback Dante Moore because he suffered a concussion during the game against USC earlier. Backup Dylan Raiola took over under center and managed to get things moving for the home team early on. UCLA struck first with a field goal in the opening quarter, but Oregon answered right back with a touchdown of their own. Their attempt at converting two points failed however, and that mistake would eventually come back to hurt them later in the contest.

The Bruins added another touchdown in the second quarter followed by one more in the fourth frame to build a comfortable 17-6 lead. That is when Oregon coach Dan Lanning decided to make a bold move by replacing Raiola with senior Brock Thomas after just six of nineteen passing attempts and two interceptions had been thrown. The call to bring in that third-string signal caller turned out to be wise as Thomas guided the Ducks downfield for a field goal with just over five minutes remaining on the clock. He then found wide receiver Evan Stewart in the end zone to cut the deficit to 17-15 with a little over two minutes left to play.

So remember that failed two-point conversion attempt from the first quarter? That meant the Ducks had no choice but to try again for two points when they finally got the ball back with a chance to take the lead. The Bruins managed to stop them cold at the last possible moment to seal out the win. This result stands as a massive statement victory for UCLA and serves as their second loss of the season for Oregon.

This outcome is going to send some serious waves through the national rankings, the Big Ten standings, and the entire College Football Playoff picture right now. For now though, the Bruins are clearly enjoying this important road win against tough competition in Eugene.