UCLA facing its biggest game of 21st century; what will win the day for Bruins

EUGENE, Ore. – Bob Chesney likes to say that UCLA is one good football team away from being the most dominant athletic department in the country.

Maybe the Bruins are already there.

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Having risen to No. 21 in the national rankings during Chesney’s first season on the job, UCLA has a chance to log one of its most meaningful wins of this century on Saturday.

UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney yells during the second quarter of a game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California, Sept. 5, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A victory over No. 13 Oregon at Autzen Stadium would make Chesney the first coach in program history to start 5-0 while also putting the Bruins (4-0 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) firmly in the running for the College Football Playoff.

How big of a deal is that?

Remember, this is a program that hasn’t played in a major bowl game since going to the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 1999.

What’s happened since has been a forgettable collage of Holiday Bowls, losing seasons and tarps covering the end zones at their home stadium because of small crowds.

So, yeah, beating the Ducks (3-1, 1-0) on national television would be huge.

“It means,” Chesney said when asked about the possibility, “it’s a next step in what we can do.”

Here are five things to watch in a game scheduled to kick off at 12:38 p.m. PDT on CBS:

Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola celebrates a touchdown by Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr. as the Oregon Ducks face the USC Trojans on Sept. 26, 2026, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Ducks’ Backup plan

Oregon erased any doubt about which quarterback UCLA would face midweek by listing Dante Moore as out.

It wasn’t a surprise given the jarring hit he absorbed from USC’s Desman Stephens II late last month at the Coliseum, which sent Moore to the hospital. Fortunately, he sustained only a concussion.

Backup Dylan Raiola proceeded to lead the Ducks past the Trojans, looking every bit as good as Moore – if not a bit better – in the process. Having started at Nebraska before he transferred to Oregon, Raiola could make a strong case to be considered the nation’s best backup quarterback.

The last time UCLA faced Raiola, the Bruins knocked him out of the game with a crushing hit on the then-freshman late in a victory over Nebraska in the 2024 season. Raiola has improved considerably since then, undoubtedly providing UCLA defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler with some headaches in his game prep this week.

UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) passes in the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium in College Park, Maryland, Sept. 26, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Putting it together?

UCLA will bring the Big Ten’s best rushing attack into the game, led by tiny tailback Wayne Knight, but the Bruins are still seeking some clarity about what to expect from their quarterback.

Fortunately, Nico Iamaleava has provided some reason to believe he’s shaken off his early season struggles after throwing for four touchdowns and no interceptions over his last two games.

At the very least, he’ll need to be a competent game manager to complement a run game that leads the Big Ten in yards per game (281.5), yards per carry (6.95) and rushing touchdowns (18).

“We need his best – we need everybody’s best, though, to be honest with you,” Chesney said of his quarterback. “It’s not just any one guy, [but] obviously a lot of it goes through him.”

You guys again?

While UCLA hasn’t faced Oregon at Autzen Stadium since 2022, a good chunk of the Bruins’ coaching staff and roster will be playing there for the second time in less than a year.

Chesney’s final James Madison team lost to the Ducks, 51-34, in the first round of the CFP in December, giving the coach and his 11 transfers who followed him to Westwood a good idea of what they’ll need to do better on Saturday.

“They figured out a way to score a lot of points against our defense at JMU last year,” Hitschler said, “and obviously there’s a chip on a shoulder there and we’ve got to find a way to slow it down.”

A stiffer challenge for Bruins

UCLA’s defense followed its worst performance of the season against Purdue with its best against Maryland, forcing five turnovers during a 54-3 victory.

Now the Bruins must face an Oregon offense that’s averaging 47.5 points per game, even if that figure was somewhat skewed by an 84-0 rout of Portland State, a Football Championship Subdivision opponent.

“We’re going to continue to be aggressive,” Hitschler said, “and continue to find a way for our offense to get the ball in positive field position.”

Flag football

Chesney said his teams historically celebrated when a flag was thrown, knowing it was most likely going to be a penalty on the other team.

That hasn’t often been the case this season.

The Bruins are among the most penalized teams in the nation, averaging 85.7 penalty yards per game to rank No. 134 out of 138 Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

They’ll need to play much cleaner to beat the Ducks on the road.

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