No. 21 UCLA will try to remain undefeated and score the program’s first win in Eugene, Ore., in more than two decades when the Bruins face No. 13 Oregon on Saturday.
UCLA (4-0, 2-0 Big Ten) heads into Autzen Stadium having lost its past five matchups with Oregon (3-1, 1-0) since 2018. The Bruins are winless in their last eight visits to Eugene, with their last victory a 34-26 decision in November 2004.
First-year UCLA head coach Bob Chesney was a special teams coordinator at Division III King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., at the time. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning was a freshman linebacker at William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo.
Chesney is no stranger to Autzen Stadium, however, having led James Madison in its 2025 College Football Playoff matchup with the Ducks.
“It was dark (because) it was a night game. It was cold, it was loud, it was all those things,” Chesney said of the Dukes’ Dec. 20 game at Oregon, a 51-34 first-round loss. “They did a great job there. Their fans were extremely involved. They did everything the right way.”
The Ducks boast a .929 winning percentage at home this century, including going the entirety of their last season in the Pac-12 Conference (2023) and first in the Big Ten (2024) without a loss in Eugene.
Oregon returns home for the first time since Sept. 18. The Ducks had a bye week following their 41-27 win at Southern California on Sept. 26.
The break allowed quarterback Dante Moore additional time to recover from a concussion he sustained against the Trojans. Moore took a vicious late hit on a slide, leading to Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola taking over at QB for Oregon.
Raiola completed 19 of 25 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns.
“Dante was out there (at) practice with us today,” Lanning said in his Monday evening press conference. “We’re going to continue to do what’s best for Dante to move forward.”
While his quarterback situation is uncertain, Lanning was clear that the Oregon defense faces a challenge from the UCLA run game.
The Bruins rank fourth in the FBS with an average of 281.5 rushing yards per game. Their 18 rushing touchdowns are tied for second-most in the nation, just one fewer than LSU, which has played one more game.
“A few things that stand out on film are just how effective they are at running the football, (and) the quarterback (Nico Iamaleava) is operating at a really high level,” Lanning said.
Iamaleava’s contributions include adding 35.8 yards per game to the multifaceted rushing attack. He joins a rotation of running backs — Wayne Knight, Anthony Woods and Javian Thomas — averaging 111.3, 67.3 and 38.8 yards, respectively.
Knight’s team-leading rushing production includes nine touchdowns (tied for third in the nation) and a 9.1-yard per-carry average (second in the country).
The Ducks’ defense, which has limited opponents to three rushing touchdowns and just 3.6 yards per carry, held USC in check the last time out. Linebacker Devon Jackson was key to the containment, racking up 11 tackles.
