The UCLA Bruins take on the #9 Oregon Ducks on Saturday, in a game that many believe will be a blowout. But one key stat could keep the Bruins in the game long enough to potentially make a big upset in the Big Ten.
Oregon, through three games, is undefeated, but their season has not been perfect. Outlasting both Idaho and Boise State in the first two weeks of the college football season, one statistic kept the two unranked teams in the game: third-down efficiency.
In Oregon’s game against Idaho, the Vandals defense held the Ducks to only 7-16 on third down, while the Boise State’s defense held Oregon to only 4-12. If the Bruins can give the Ducks similar problems on third down, they have a chance to keep the game close in the fourth quarter.
This season, UCLA’s defense has held opposing offenses to 23-41 on third down. If head coach DeShaun Foster and defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe can scheme up their defense to force stops on third down, the Bruins could be in a tight game at the Rose Bowl on Saturday and give UCLA fans something to cheer for late in the second half.