Oregon Ducks (4-1) vs. UCLA Bruins (3-1)
Saturday, October 10, 12:30 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Oregon -3.5
*AllPac10 Game of the Week*

Sam’s Take (25 – 12):

Oregon has been firing on all cylinders for the last two weeks, but this Saturday’s game is not taking place in the friendly confines of Autzen Stadium. Remember the last time Oregon played a road game?

The Ducks may have to overcome more than just a rowdy Rose Bowl crowd, as it remains to be seen if QB Jeremiah Masoli can play Saturday. Nate Costa certainly has the tools to be successful, but can he lead the Ducks to a meaningful win in his first career start (especially on the road)? The Ducks will also be without CB Willie Glasper, who was supposed to fill the void left by Walter Thurmond III. Now the Ducks are without their two best corners for the rest of the season, and Norm Chow will likely test the secondary early in the game.

Chow may have the services of starting QB Kevin Prince (broken jaw), who has recently resumed practicing with the first team offense. Prince can make all of the deep throws that Kevin Craft can’t, which means there should be plenty of opportunities for the Bruin receivers against the inexperienced Oregon corners.

I believe there are many reasons to pick the upset here, but something tells me Oregon will find a way. Costa understands Chip Kelly’s system well, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him flourish (just as LaMichael James has been great at RB in place of Blount). The UCLA run defense is good, but Stanford proved that it is not impenetrable. I also love the way Oregon’s defensive front seven is playing, so Prince (or Craft) may be in for a very long day if the pass rush looks like it has over the past couple of weeks.

I see the resilient Ducks pulling this one out in Pasadena.

Prediction: Oregon 30 – UCLA 24

Oregon Player to Keep an Eye On: TE Ed Dickson – Whether Costa or Masoli plays Saturday; #83 should be a feature part of the passing game.

UCLA Player to Keep an Eye On: DE Korey Bosworth - Bosworth will be a key to disrupting the timing of Oregon’s misdirection spread attack.

Dave’s Take (29 – 8):

For the Halloween matchup between the USC Trojans and the Oregon Ducks to be the Pac-10 Game of the Year that it is currently looking like it might be, both teams are going to have to actually get there without anymore missteps; and the first challenge for the Ducks comes this Saturday in UCLA.

UCLA’s generally stout defense was exposed last Saturday, especially on the ground; playing against Toby Gerhart can do that to defenses. While there isn’t a whole lot of doubt that the Bruins defense is strong, Luck and Gerhart’s big days are definitely cause for concern; how will the D hold up against stronger offenses? San Diego State, Kansas State, and even Tennessee (with Crompton at the helm) didn’t really give us a good indication.

Oregon’s offense has found its groove, but now Jeremiah Masoli’s status is in question, and a defense like UCLA’s on the road isn’t the first start I want to see Nate Costa get as a Ducks fan. Heading back on the road for the first time in over a month is hard enough; doing so completely demolished by injuries (Glasper, Thurmond III) is even worse.

With the return of Kevin Prince and home field advantage, the Bruins will be extremely focused and geared up for the upset. Beating Oregon would help them avoid falling to 0-2 in the conference and would also establish their presence in the conference.

Even with the injuries, I think Oregon has what it takes to win this game. What it really comes down to is mental toughness, something the Ducks didn’t show a whole lot of the last time they headed out on the road. I’m going to trust them to get the job done this time around; but it’ll come down to the wire.

Prediction: Oregon 27 – UCLA 23