Both Oregon and Utah entered Saturday’s game with reasons to win. Oregon was coming off a tough 26-20 loss to No. 4 Stanford, one that likley costs them a chance at a BCS national championship spot. Utah came to Autzen Stadium after beating the same Cardinal team 27-21, then going on to lose three straight conference games. Oregon had a bit more bitterness in the game helping the team surpass Utah with a 44-21 victory.

The Ducks started towards their win with a halftime 17-7 lead.

Utah opened up the second half receiving and Utah quarterback Adam Schulz threw a pass to Dominique Hatfield for 48 yards to the Oregon four yard-line. Schulz then ran in the remaining yards for a touchdown bringing the score to 17-14.

The Ducks were in desperate need of a score to keep the lead with the Utes right on their tail. Running back De’Anthony Thomas easily answered Utah’s score as he returned a 51-yard kickoff return from Andy Phillips for 86 yards to the end zone.

Thomas proved that his ankle injury was no longer an issue, as he has had on-and-off playing time since he injured it against California.

Utah continued to make small gains using mostly their rushing back Bubba Poole, but the Oregon defense played out the stops as it did in the first half. After linebacker Derrick Malone’s shoulder injury sat him out for the end of the second quarter, other defensive players stepped up in his place. Safety Avery Patterson had six tackles and linebackers Boseko Lokombo and Malone each had five.

Rahim Cassell took the linebacker position in place of Malone in the second half and put on the defensive performance he was expected to.

“Whenever you lose a starter, obviously the guy starts for a reason, but Rahim has played a lot of football for us, and I thought Rahim came in a did very well,” defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti said. “I might add that (Utah) had 42 rushes for 116 yards — that’s less than three yards a carry. So Rahim obviously did a really good job against the rush.”

With just under six minutes left in the third quarter, the Ducks quickly scored again. Marcus Mariota threw to Josh Huff for 21 yards, then to Daryle Hawkins for 23 yards and finally 14 yards to tight end John Mundt for another touchdown.

“I always trust my eyes, and I trust what I see,” Mariota said, “but it’s not just me, it’s a collaborative effort. Guys are finding holes, getting open. Depending on the look, depending on what we practice every week, I’m able to find them.”

Mariota continued his streak of zero interceptions against the Utes. He went 19-of-26 in the game for 288 yards and three touchdowns.

Terrance Mitchell almost had his second interception of the game with just less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter. His first came off a tipped pass by Troy Hill from Schulz. Instead of a second interception, Utah decided to return the ball.

The kick led to a quick pass to Hawkins for 26 yards from Mariota. Mariota then handed off to running back Byron Marshall who ran in the ball 21 yards for the touchdown.

After Utah’s chance at entering the end zone, Oregon scored on another kickoff return as Addison ran in the touchdown. However, an illegal block in the back was called on the receiving team, so Oregon was forced to return to the 39 yard-line to try again. Addison ranks third in the country in punt returns, averaging 19.7 yards on his 13 total returns.

Thomas Tyner rushed for 27 yards the next play, though, putting the Ducks in Utah territory. The touchdown Oregon was looking for came a couple of plays later when Marshall ran the ball in from 16 yards bringing the score to 44-14.

“We really tried to pick up the tempo in the second half,” Marshall said.

Utah ran in the end zone one last time with a rush from Poole to add to the scoreboard one final time. The game ended at 44-21.

The win over Utah does not heal the wounds that Stanford left on the Ducks, but it does put the team in a better spot for a BCS bowl bid, as long as Oregon wins its final regular season matchups against Arizona and in the Civil War against Oregon State.

“It’s just feels good to get that sour taste that all of us have had in our mouths for eight or nine days and to get a win,” Aliotti said. “So we’re happy about that, to be 9-1. And now, we can start focusing on Arizona tomorrow morning.”

Follow Lindsey Tucker on Twitter @lindseyetucker

In Oregon and Utah’s first ever conference matchup the Ducks lead the Utes 17-7 at halftime.

De’Anthony Thomas appeared in the starting lineup as he returned the first kick. Thomas had a total of 33 return yards and 11 yards rushing in the first half.

The defense made early plays against the Utah offense including a yardage loss on running back Bubba Poole. Linebacker Derrick Malone took down Utah quarterback Adam Schulz within the first five minutes of the first quarter. Then, just a few plays later Schulz’s throw was tipped by Troy Hill and intercepted by Terrance Mitchell. The interception led to the first touchdown of the day after a 28-yard pass to Pharaoh Brown and the touchdown pass to Thomas.

Malone has had five games this season with ten or more tackles. Malone is looking to make today’s game his sixth starting out with five in the first half. The defensive team as a whole ranks second nationally (596.6).

Malone injured his shoulder on a tackle in the second quarter and sat out for the remainder of the half, but the Oregon defense continued without him.

Regardless of being the first team leading the Pac-12 in fourth-down conversions, the Utes continued to get stopped by the Oregon defense. After Utah returned the ball back to Oregon, the Ducks settled for a 31-yard field goal from Matt Wogan after four plays, bringing the score to 10-0.

Mariota received his first sack around the eight minute mark from defensive back Michael Walker for a loss of nine yards that forced the Ducks to return the ball to the Utes. Oregon and Utah returned the ball back-and-forth multiple times to start the second quarter until Utah made their first touchdown with just under three minutes left to go in the half. After ten plays, tight end Jake Murphy received the ball 34 yards for the score.

Immediately after the Utes scored, Mariota threw a 57-yard pass to Bralon Addison which eventually led to an Oregon touchdown. Receiver Josh Huff got the touchdown credit after catching a five-yard pass from the quarterback making it Huff’s seventh touchdown catch of the season. The score came within just 45 seconds.

To finish out the first half, Schulz’s pass was incomplete for a potential first-down and Utah was forced to return the ball to Oregon. The same play panned out for the Ducks when Brown dropped the pass from Mariota.

Oregon is 7-0 when leading at the half, however, the team only leads by 10 points. The Ducks look to continue to add numbers to the board in the second half to solidify the win over Utah in the teams’ first conference meeting.

What to look for in the second half:

Will Malone’s injury effect the Oregon defense?

Mariota needs three more passing touchdowns to tie Joey Harrington for fifth-best at Oregon (59), will he make the mark in today’s matchup?

Will the receiving team continue to be the go-to for Mariota?

Follow Lindsey Tucker on Twitter @lindseyetucker

Although the Oregon-Utah game may not be the most exciting matchup on television this weekend, both teams have a lot of animosity built up for different reasons, which may make for a closer game than expected.

The No. 6 Ducks are coming off a painful loss to No. 4 Stanford that crushed their dreams of appearing in the BCS national championship game. Oregon is now determined to receive a BCS bowl bid of some sort with victories in their final three regular season games, including this weekend’s against the Utes.

Utah is currently 4-5 overall and 1-5 in the Pac-12. Its single conference win came when it took on the Cardinal, as they managed a 27-21 victory. Since, Utah has lost its past three games, but hope to bounce back and upset another top-ranked team.

Here are the matchups to watch:

Oregon’s quarterbacks vs. Utah’s defensive front

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota leads the Pac-12 in pass efficiency while still maintaining zero interceptions this season as he continues to be a top candidate for the Heisman trophy. Against Stanford, however, Mariota struggled for the majority of the game. Oregon had four fumbles on the night, two of which were recovered, two picked up by the Cardinal. These sort of struggles may be a problem for the Oregon pocket against the Utes, as well. Utah is ranked first in the Pac-12 in defensive sacks (33) and plan to push their way to Mariota.

Oregon key: The nerves may not be as high in Saturday’s matchup for Mariota, which is clearly an advantage for the sophomore. In the Pac-12, Mariota has attempted 259 passes and completed 164 of those, averaging 281.2 passing yards per game. He also is known for his strong rushing game when no teammates are open, averaging 55 yards per game. If Mariota can find efficient movement within the pocket and make quick, smart decisions to pass or rush, he will have no problem getting away from the Utah defenders.

Utah key: Utah will have to force its way to Mariota to make big plays for the defense. An important player to watch out for is defensive end Trevor Reilly, who leads the Pac-12 in sacks with seven. In order to cause distress on Mariota, the defenders will have to break through Oregon’s offensive line.

Advantage: Oregon

Oregon’s running game vs. Utah’s secondary

Oregon excels in its offense while Utah is more efficient in its defense. The Ducks have many options when trying to rush the ball forward, but they have to make it past the Utes’ defensive backs before they can make a successful play to add points to the scoreboard.

Oregon key: Oregon has to utilize its different options in order to gain yardage and eventually score touchdowns. Byron Marshall is the front runner for Oregon’s rush option, averaging 102.8 yards per game, fourth in the Pac-12. De’Anthony Thomas has had limited playing time this season after injuring his ankle, but he continues to be one of the faster players on the Oregon team. If all else fails, Mariota can rush for a first down or even a touchdown, as he ranks ninth in the Pac-12 in rushing touchdowns.

Utah key: Utah will need to watch the Oregon rushers, including Mariota, as they make their quick plays to score. Utah will especially need the help of defensive linebacker Jason Whittingham, who averages 8.6 tackles per game. The senior will especially be the one to look for as he will push his way to make a hard tackle to make stops on the Oregon offense.

Advantage: Oregon

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Though football had a bye week, other Oregon teams excelled over the weekend. With away games for soccer, women’s tennis, men’s tennis and cross country and two home games for volleyball, the Ducks continue to wrap up the season. Here is a look at how the teams played this weekend.

Soccer:

Soccer headed to Los Angeles to take on USC for one of the last few games of the season. They fell to the Trojans 2-1 in overtime after falling out in the last-minute as USC scored the final goal at the 99th minute of the game. Friday’s loss, goalkeeper Abby Steele had a season-high nine saves and Kristen Parr took her third goal of the season. On Sunday, Oregon failed to upset No. 2 UCLA, as the Bruins claimed the Pac-12 title with the 2-0 win. The Ducks are now 0-5 on the road in comparison to their 1-7 road record last season. The team will play in their final game of the season against Oregon State on Thursday.

Volleyball:

The No. 23-ranked Ducks took on two teams this weekend, hosting Arizona State on Friday and Arizona on Saturday. The team took the 1-3 loss to the Sun Devils first and followed with a 3-2 victory over the Wildcats. In Friday’s matchup, Oregon appeared headed toward a win with a hitting mark of .319 — the team is 7-0 when having at least a .300 hitting mark — however, the team still struggled in the four sets with scores of 25-23, 21-25, 25-19 and 25-15. Against the Wildcats, the Ducks won in five sets. Liz Brenner completed her fourth straight double-double, accumulating 28 kills and 19 digs. Oregon still has eight regular season games remaining.

Tennis:

The women’s tennis team traveled to Fresno, Calif., for the Bulldog Classic while the men’s tennis team participated in the Easley Memorial Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. The Bulldog Classic and the Easley Memorial Classic were weekend events, with the Ducks playing all three days. On Friday, the women’s team went 4-7 in singles play and 1-1 in doubles. For the men’s tennis team’s first matchup, three singles players and two double teams moved on to the semifinals on Saturday. One of them was sophomore Kevin Farin, who defeated the No. 76 player in the nation, Ace Matias, of UNLV. Matias took the first set and Farin settled the score to force a tie-breaker. In the final set, Farin claimed the win with a score of 7-6. Farin then beat Auburn’s Lukas Ollert, the No. 75-ranked player in the semifinals Saturday, winning both sets with ease. Farin is now 7-2 for the start of the season. The men’s team will face Portland State to open the regular season on Jan. 17 and the women’s team will take on South Carolina Upstate on Jan. 24.

Cross country:

The No. 4 ranked cross country team competed in the Pac-12 championships Saturday, finishing second with 54 points, a bit behind Colorado, which took first with 28 points. The No. 12-ranked women’s cross country team finished fourth. Freshman Edward Cheserek stole the spotlight of the championships, making him the first freshman to ever claim a cross country Pac-12 championship title. Cheserek came in first with a time of 24:56. For the women, Megan Patrignelli led the way for the Ducks in the 6,000-meter at 22:18. Oregon is now preparing for the NCAA West Regionals on Nov. 15.

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With the help of the offense, defense and special teams, Oregon pulled out the 42-14 win over 12th-ranked UCLA. The top plays of the night were mostly unexpected, coming from players that aren’t always in the spotlight. Head coach Mark Helfrich claimed the win was a collective effort from all sides of the team especially after their momentum picked up in the second half. Here are a few of the most memorable plays:

Rodney Hardrick’s 66-yard trick play

When Alejandro Maldonado set up to return the ball to UCLA on a fourth-down conversion, no one expected linebacker Rodney Hardrick to the rush 66-yards to the 8-yard line. The receiving UCLA team, along with the help of blocks from Oregon, split wide open, making a path straight towards the end zone for Hardrick. The trick play eventually led to the first touchdown for the Ducks after De’Anthony Thomas ran it in for the leftover yards.

Avery Patterson intercepts UCLA’s Brett Hundley

Renowned quarterback Brett Hundley was intercepted twice during the night, once by Avery Patterson on the first play of the fourth quarter. Patterson then ran the ball for 28-yards. The interception led to the Ducks’ fourth touchdown with the help of Byron Marshall, Thomas Tyner and Bralon Addison, who ran in the final play for the score. Boseko Lokombo was responsible for the other interception on Hundley, which came in the second quarter.

Byron Marshall rushes 43-yards to gain another touchdown

Marshall had his fifth consecutive game of rushing for 100 yards or more and claimed three touchdowns in the win over UCLA. In the first drive of the second quarter, Oregon scored its second touchdown with the help of Marshall who ran for 43 total yards. It was the largest amount of yards on one drive for the running back. Overall, Marshall had a substantial impact on the Oregon victory.

Autzen Stadium was just as loud as usual, if not louder with Oregon playing in what is thought to be the first competitive game of the season for the team. The presence of ESPN’s College GameDay also added to the excitement for the fans as the Ducks cruised to a 42-14 win over the 12th-ranked Bruins.

Oregon had a rocky start with two fumbles in the first half and two sacks on quarterback Marcus Mariota.

The first big move from the Ducks came as a surprise as linebacker Rodney Hardrick ran for 66 yards on a trick play from the return team.

The 66 yards remained the largest run of the game.

“As soon as I got the ball, it just split, and I was thinking ‘this is it,’ and I got the first down, and I was just trying to get as much as I can for offense,” Hardrick said.

Oregon and UCLA were tied at halftime at 14-14, the first time this season the Ducks were not leading at the half.

“I’m officially a man, I guess,” head coach Mark Helfrich said on the close first half of the game. ”I’ve got the hairline of an 82-year-old.”

To begin the second half, UCLA received and the two teams punted back-and-forth a few times proving that both teams can hang in a tough matchup.

On Oregon’s second time receiving the ball, the team almost made use of it with yards gained from Josh Huff, Bralon Addison and Byron Marshall. The Bruins then forced a seven-yard loss on the Ducks and a fumble that was recovered by the hands of UCLA.

However, the Bruins soon turned it back over to the Ducks after only three plays on the drive. The punt return came with the help of linebacker Boseko Lokombo, who made a big tackle.

With the ball back in Oregon’s hands Mariota passed to Marshall for 23 yards, which then led to an 11-yard rush from Marshall giving the Ducks their first touchdown of the second half, gaining the lead at 21-14.

On the first play of the third quarter, UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley threw an interception to Oregon’s Avery Patterson. It was the second interception of the game for Hundley.

The last time Mariota threw an interception is when ESPN’s College GameDay last visited Eugene when the Ducks hosted Stanford in 2012. The interception came in the first half. The quarterback remained perfect in today’s win over the Bruins. However, Mariota was sacked twice by the UCLA defense.

Hundley’s interception brought the Ducks to UCLA’s 38-yard line. With short-spurt rushes from Marshall and Thomas Tyner, the Ducks were at the 8-yard line and ready to extend their lead.

Mariota completed a pass to Addison to score the team’s fourth touchdown of the night.

With UCLA receiving the ball next, the Oregon defense continued to step up when they forced yards lost on UCLA’s Paul Perkins and made sure Hundley did not complete his pass to Devin Fuller.

Oregon soon scored again bringing their lead to 35-14 after runs from Marshall and Tyner. Marshall eventually ran the ball in for a final eight yards to get the Ducks another touchdown.

Tonight’s game is the fifth consecutive game that Marshall has rushed for 100 yards or more.

With Marshall stepping up in a big way for the Ducks, De’Anthony Thomas remained on the bench for the entire second half.

“Experience is key,” Marshall said. “I’m just more comfortable, I guess. Just kind of feel how everything is going on, and now it’s just time to go out there and ball out.”

With players across the board stepping up for Oregon, including Marshall, Mariota, Hardrick and Lokombo, they easily made a team effort to capture the win over the Bruins. This is the second win of the season against a top-25 team. With the highly anticipated game, the Ducks proved their skill and that they can compete against other high-ranked teams.

“The part about all this is we don’t sit here and go, ‘Oh, the offense won this game’ and ‘Special teams won this game’ and ‘The defense won these three games,’” Helfrich said. “It’s we won these games.”

The last time the two teams met, Oregon led UCLA 35-17 at halftime during the 2011 Pac-12 Championship.

However, in today’s matchup against the Bruins both teams are tied at 14-14 heading into the second half.

The Ducks got off to a shaky start fumbling on their second play of the game and allowing the Bruins to score first.

Oregon received to start out the game only to have Keanon Lowe fumble the ball on the second play of Oregon’s first drive. The fumble eventually led to the first score of the game, bringing UCLA up 7-0.

Oregon had two fumbles in the first half.

Mariota was sacked and the ball was fumbled for the second time by UCLA’s Anthony Barr, but was recovered by Oregon, forcing the Ducks into a fourth-down situation. Kicker Alejandro Maldonado then set up formation for a kick return but ran a trick play that Oregon brought to the 8-yard line by linebacker Rodney Hardrick with a 66-yard rush.

That setup the Ducks for their first touchdown of the game.

De’Anthony Thomas made his return to the field after sitting out for the Colorado, Washington and Washington State games due to an ankle injury.

Thomas ran in the touchdown for one-yard after a seven-yard previous rush. The score was tied at 7-7.

Oregon’s defense came out strong making stop after stop on the UCLA offense. The Bruins did not rush for more than 14 yards on a single play in the first quarter.

Derrick Malone led the defense in tackles with five in the first quarter.

To start off the second quarter, running back Bryon Marshall quickly rushed for 40 yards just 1:50 into the quarter for Oregon’s second touchdown of the game. The touchdown was Marshall’s 10th of the season.

UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley then rushed the ball 33-yards and then another three. The seventh play of the Bruins’ drive ended in an interception by linebacker Boseko Lokombo who progressed the ball nine yards for the Ducks.

On the fourth down, UCLA received the ball with Maldonado on the kick. The ball was blocked by Myles Jack, giving the Bruins excellent field position at Oregon’s 28-yard line.

Hundley passed to Thomas Duarte on a third-down conversion for an 11-yard rush good for a touchdown, tying the game at 14-14.

On Oregon’s last drive before the end of the half, Mariota threw for 38 yards and rushed 25 before he was sacked for a loss of two yards. Maldonado then kicked a 37-yard field goal that went wide, keeping the score 14-14 to finish out the half.

Things to look for in the second half

How will Oregon react to being in their first close game of the season?

Can the Ducks control UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr?

Who will step up on offense for the Ducks?

Will the Oregon defense continue its momentum with pressure on Hundley?

Every week during football season, our sports staff will discuss different topics surrounding an upcoming game. Today, print sports editor Lindsey Tucker and sports reporters Chris Mosch and Madison Guernsey discuss Saturday’s matchup between Oregon and Washington State.

1. Last time these two teams faced off, Oregon entered halftime with a 23-19 lead. What can Washington State do to keep it close again this year?

Lindsey Tucker — To keep it even relatively close, Washington State will have to make sure Oregon doesn’t separate itself with a early lead. With the second-best offense in the nation, Oregon is expected to rack up the passing and rushing yards early and often. Two main reasons the Cougars were able to hang on in the first half last season is because they had zero turnovers (minus one by Ifo Ekpre-Olomu that was overturned by an Oregon penalty) and the defense was able to hold Oregon to 23 points at the half, 7.5 points less than Oregon’s 2012 average, while also keeping up on offense. If they can take care of the ball and play solid defense, WSU may be able to hang in there for the first half.

Chris Mosch — Against the second-highest scoring team in the country, the last thing Washington State can afford to do in a hostile Autzen Stadium environment is give Oregon extra opportunities to put points on the board. Washington State was able to keep the game within reach last year because they didn’t commit any turnovers during the first half. Connor Halliday has thrown an FBS-worst 13 interceptions this season and is on the heels of a 52-24 loss to Oregon State in which the offense turned the ball over during all five of its fourth-quarter drives. Halliday needs to be flawless to keep this game from getting out of hand early.

Madison Guernsey — Win the turnover battle. The Cougars have been notorious for giving up the football this season and rank dangerously close to the bottom of FBS rankings in turnover, while Oregon has been exceptional about not turning the ball over. If Washington State is going to have a chance in this one, Connor Halliday and the rest of the Cougars offense will need to keep the ball out of the hands of Oregon’s defenders.

2. Will Marcus Mariota keep his interception-less streak alive against Washington State’s secondary?

Lindsey Tucker — This season, Washington State has 11 interceptions. However, I don’t see star quarterback Marcus Mariota repeating last year’s mistakes. The Heisman front-man saw two of his six interceptions of 2012 from the Cougars, but he has improved tremendously this season and will continue his streak of zero turnovers this Saturday.

Chris Mosch — In Mariota’s collegiate career, he has been picked off multiple times in a game just once. That game happened to be last year’s clash with the Cougars. The Honolulu native has made significant strides as a passer since then, but Washington State’s defense unit has tied for the sixth most interceptions in the FBS. Leading the charge for Washington State’s secondary is Deone Bucannon, who was responsible for both of Mariota’s interceptions the last time these two teams faced off. Mariota will have a strong game against a defense that ranks in the bottom third in passing yards allowed, but I predict that one Mariota pass will end up in the hands of a Washington State defender.

Madison Guernsey — WSU has forced 11 picks this season and senior DBs Deone Bucannon and Damante Horton are tied for third in the country with four interceptions apiece. That being said, Mariota has gone this far without turning the ball over, and I don’t see him ending that trend on Saturday. He bested Washington’s elite pass defense last weekend and should once again flourish, INT-free.

3. Final score?

Lindsey Tucker — This one is looking like another yawner. Although, Washington State is fourth in the North Division of the Pac-12, their largest wins have come against Southern Utah, Idaho and California, two of which have worse records than the Cougars. It comes as no surprise that Oregon is the favored team in this matchup. They have the second-ranked scoring offense in the nation, average 56.8 points per game and scored 55 points or more in all of the first five game. This game will end at 52-10.

Chris Mosch — Halliday and the “Air Raid” offense has torn apart Southern Utah, Idaho and California — two of the five worst scoring defenses in the FBS and a Division II team. In his other four games this season, Halliday has thrown two touchdowns against nine interceptions and averaged just 5.3 yards per attempt. Washington State may put up a garbage-time touchdown, but Oregon’s defense will shut down Halliday and crew while Mariota continues his charge toward the Heisman. Oregon rolls, 57-13.

Madison Guernsey — This one could get ugly. Washington State is an improved squad under second year head coach Mike Leach, but they’ve given up 46 points per game in three losses this season. Halliday turns the ball over too much and the running game is almost non-existent, making the Cougars’ offense one-dimensional and predictable. Mariota and the rest of Oregon’s starters won’t play in the fourth quarter of this one, Oregon cruises 49-10.

4. Who will come out on top in Palo Alto? No. 9 UCLA or No. 13 Stanford?

Lindsey Tucker — UCLA and Stanford have a lot riding on this game, including a possible BCS bowl berth. This will definitely be a nail-biter with both teams ranked in the Top 25, although Stanford has the home-turf advantage. Both teams have excellent quarterbacks in Brett Hundley and Kevin Wogan. Hundley has the third-best passing efficiency in the Pac-12 with Hogan right behind in fourth. The No. 9 team and the No. 13 team will face off in an epic battle Saturday, but I predict UCLA will come out on top with the statistics they’ve been racking up in a somewhat unexpectedly successful season.

Chris Mosch — Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan draws a tough matchup in which to bounce back from his first career loss as a starter. UCLA’s defense has quietly emerged as one of the best units in the country, ranking 12th in the nation in passing yards per attempt and 25th in yards per carry. On the other hand, the Cardinal defense has allowed over 400 yards of offense in three of its last four games and will have its hands full against UCLA’s offense. Led by Brett Hundley — who is coming off a career-best 410 passing yards against California — the Bruins have averaged the fifth most yards per game in the FBS. Their leading rusher, Jordon James, is dealing with an ankle injury and is unlikely to suit up on Saturday but I predict the Bruins will have enough star power between Hundley and OLB Anthony Barr to deal Stanford consecutive losses for the first time since Andrew Luck’s freshman year.

Madison Guernsey — This is a huge game for both schools as each side has BCS bowl berths on the line. UCLA has been playing inspired football and has overachieved a bit this season. The Bruins begin a brutal two-game road trip to Palo Alto and Eugene. Stanford hasn’t looked as good as its preseason No. 5 ranking and will be playing to make up for its upset loss to Utah last Saturday. Brett Hundley and Kevin Hogan are two of the best quarterbacks in the country and are complimented by elite defenses. While UCLA is the better team, the Cardinal faithful will fuel Stanford to a redemption win in a nail biter.

Oregon adds to its streak of games with 50 plus points, making it five after trampling over Colorado 57-16.

45, 944 fans were in attendance at Folsom Field as it started out at 61 degrees with blue skies.

The game started out in the Buffaloes’ favor, putting the first points on the board with a 33-yard field goal. Oregon answered with a touchdown from quarterback Marcus Mariota. The Ducks then went for a two-point conversion and scored. The Buffaloes received the ball next, and quarterback Connor Wood handed the ball to Michael Adkins, who tossed to Paul Richardson, who then threw 75-yards to fellow wideout D.D. Goodson. The touchdown brought the score to 10-3.

However, after that, the Ducks continued to lead on the scoreboard until the final buzzer.

Tight end Colt Lyerla did not travel with the team to Boulder after serving a one game suspension, so backup Pharaoh Brown took over and caught his first reception of the season after recovering from surgery.

De’Anthony Thomas still remains sidelined for the Ducks after an ankle sprain during the California game. He was dressed in uniform, but also with a boot on his right ankle. Byron Marshall and Thomas Tyner took over for the running back position. Marshall ran for 122 yards and Tyner added 30 yards.

Colorado completed its 16 points all during the first half, which included one touchdown and three field goals.

Colorado’s Richardson leads the nation in yards received per game with 162.3 before playing the Ducks. However, Oregon held him to just 134 yards.

“We played a little better as the day went on, but that guy, wow, a couple of those one-handed catches. That guy’s impressive; a very good football player,” Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich said of Richardson.

In the third quarter, Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota completed a pass to Bralon Addison for a 44-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 50-16 after Alejandro Maldenado’s kick. Addison led the game in receiving with 158 yards.

Mariota then completed a 26-yard pass to wide receiver Josh Huff after tugging his way into the end zone to score another touchdown for the Ducks.

Huff completed the 100th reception in his career with his second reception of the game from Mariota. Huff added three more receptions to his résumé after the 100 mark, totaling five catches for 103 yards.

Mariota would finish the game with 355 passing yards and seven total touchdowns. Mariota has thrown 14 touchdown passes this season without any interceptions.

The Honolulu native’s seven touchdowns are a career high for the sophomore.

“As a whole unit, us guys, we’ve gotten better with Marcus since last year,” Addison said of Mariota. “Last year, you saw a lot of times where we would disconnect on things, and I think the past off-season we worked with Marcus a lot and I think it’s going to pay off. We continue to get better each week.

“That guy can do some amazing things with his legs, and he has a great arm to compliment those legs. He just improvises out there, and it’s kind of like he’s playing a video game.”

Helfrich replaced the starters with the back-up players during the third quarter, including Jeff Lockie who took over for Martiota. Lockie then threw an intercepted pass intended for Eric Dungy. It was the first interception of the season for the Ducks. Oregon previously led the nation with zero interceptions.

Both Lockie and Jake Rodrigues split reps until the game’s end, but the two combined for two interceptions.

Oregon finished out the night with its back-ups racking up time as it completed its first Pac-12 road game overcoming the Buffaloes and accumulating 756 yards of total offense.

“We’re 5-0, that’s our best statistic, and we haven’t played remotely to what we can in any phase in any game, so that’s encouraging. The guys we have on this team are excited to get better, excited to come to work and get better on Monday,” Helfrich said.

Students choose the University of Oregon for many reasons. Some locate to Eugene to be two hours away from Mom and Dad, some come to get away from home and indulge in the hippie lifestyle and some even because Oregon’s football team is No. 2 in the nation.

Oregonians make up 55 percent of the university’s undergraduate program, and 35 percent are out-of-state, a large majority of them packing their bags from California.

Even Californians themselves call the UO “UC Eugene.” Californians make the migration to Oregon for various reasons. It’s no secret that Oregon is easier to get accepted into, as far as academics go, in comparison to public universities in The Golden State. California’s public higher education system causes problems for Californians who plan to attend college. Universities such as UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC Davis require strong high school GPAs and college degrees usually take more than five years to obtain instead of the standard four, which can be a financial burden for some. 

It’s no surprise that Oregon has gained publicity from the Ducks’ recent success in football, one reason students have chosen Oregon over other schools. However, the Ducks have not always been the BCS phenoms they are today.

So, for you uneducated Californians, here’s a quick history lesson.

Before 2007, the Oregon football team was very up and down. The Joey Harrington era led them to the Fiesta Bowl in 2001-02, where they beat Colorado 38-16. In 2005, the Ducks finished fifth overall in the BCS rankings, with a 10-1 regular season finish, their only loss to No. 1 ranked USC, when they were whooped 45-13. That year, Oregon finished the season tied for the second-best overall record (10-1, after USC was vacated for violations in 2010) in school history.

Ring a bell? Perhaps not.

I have a feeling most Californians at that time were cheering on the Trojans with their star running back and 2005 Heisman winner, Reggie Bush.

Since 2007, Oregon has gone to a bowl game and won each one (with the exception of the 2009 Rose Bowl and the 2010 BCS championship, but we can just forget about those games, right?)

In 2002, the team went 7-6 overall, one of those losses coming from Oregon State, where they were crushed 45-24. Oregon State. Really?

In 2004, Oregon had a losing season of 5-6, when the Ducks again lost to Oregon State and No. 4-ranked California.

It’s true, not every Oregonian grew up watching the Oregon football team with its roller coaster years, but it’s hard to miss all the Oregon and Oregon State news while living in Oregon.

Oregon football would not quite be as exciting as it is without the 54,000 fans who fill Autzen Stadium every Saturday, particularly the student section that leads many of the chants that pump up the football players. Whether it be following the football team across the country as they gain win after win, or standing in the monsoon rain for four hours during a blowout game, I am sure most of the Oregon fans from California have completed their initiation into becoming a real Oregon fan.

I’m not telling California students that they don’t belong at the UO. However, they should understand that the Ducks were not always the power house they are today. Californians must respect the history of Oregon football.

So, next time you’re walking the streets of Eugene, and you scream “Sco Ducks!” just think about what it actually means to cheer on the Ducks.