There's no way to sugarcoat it: the Oregon Ducks' defeat at the hands of the UCLA Bruins was one of the worst offensive performances in modern program history. The Ducks hovered under 100 total yards until deep in the fourth quarter, with their only touchdown coming off of a turnover created by the defense that put the ball at UCLA's 1-yard line.
Then, there were the turnovers. Oregon committed six turnovers — two interceptions and four fumbles. It was always going to be incredibly tough to win having turned the ball over six times, but with UCLA also not playing anywhere near their best and the Ducks' defense remaining stout throughout, the Ducks had a chance to drive down the field and win the game with less than a minute on the clock.
They
ultimately didn't do that, falling to 3-2 on the season and removing any certainty of controlling their own destiny in the College Football Playoff race just a week after the calendar flipped to September.
With one of the most disappointing losses in modern program history in the books, here's this week's report card, complete with grades and analysis for every position group plus the coaching staff.
Quarterbacks
Grade: D-
The only reason that this isn't an "F" grade is because third-stringer Brock Thomas came in and put together a quarter of competent play, but it was ultimately too late. For three quarters of the game, Dylan Raiola put forth absolutely atrocious quarterback play, completing 6-of-19 passes for 43 yards and two interceptions. He completed his first three passes and then completed three of his next 16, lacking any sort of rhythm and drawing all of the negatives from his at-times wild and out-of-structure play style. We saw the worst of Raiola against UCLA, and it had a significant hand in the loss.
Running Backs
Grade: C-
From the outside looking in, it's difficult to know whether the offensive line or running backs are more at fault for the lacking run game that produced just 85 yards and 3.7 yards per carry. Especially in the first half, neither Jordon Davison or Dierre Hill Jr. could get anything going, a sentiment that continued into much of the second half. Neither were impactful in the receiving game either, ultimately playing far below the level that we're accustomed to see.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Grade: B-
How can you grade a pass-catching core that wasn't given many opportunities to, well, catch the ball? Raiola either consistently didn't throw the ball or threw uncatchable passes, negating any sort of impact that any wide receiver or tight end could have on the game. That changed when Thomas entered, as Dakorien Moore (four catches, 77 yards) and Evan Stewart (five catches, 74 yards, one touchdown) came alive in the fourth quarter and almost led the Ducks to a comeback. I think a "B-" is the right grade here.
Offensive Line
Grade: C-
Also difficult to evaluate the pass-blocking unit when Raiola was all over the place in and out of the pocket, but we were given a more clear vision of this group in the run game. As mentioned, the running backs averaged just 3.7 yards per carry and lacked any sort of success in the first half. Holes just weren't available to be ran through, as well as the Bruins stopping the Ducks on multiple short-yardage situations, none bigger than the two-point conversion late that could've tied the game. With a backup quarterback, the Ducks needed their offensive line to have the game of their season. They didn't.
Defensive Line
Grade: A
Aside from a bone-headed, inexplicable toss of the ball that resulted in 15-yard penalty, it's hard to poke any holes in A'Mauri Washington's performance. He was all over the place, recording five tackles, two pass deflections and half a tackle for loss while edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei had a day as well with six tackles and two sacks of his own. When Oregon needed them most, the Ducks' defensive line held strong, keeping Oregon in it and holding an explosive UCLA run game to just 3.0 yards per carry with seven total tackles for loss.
Linebackers
Grade: B+
It's hard to poke many holes in this unit either. Jerry Mixon picked off a pass and had eight tackles while Devon Jackson was right behind him with seven takedowns. Dylan Williams also added five tackles, with each player having an impact in limiting the Bruins' run game. Sure, the defensive line did a lot of work in creating penetration, but UCLA only had one explosive run and that's a credit to the linebacking core.
Secondary
Grade: C+
All in all, this wasn't a bad game from the secondary but one of the most important plays of the game turned out to be the first: a 62-yard completion that put UCLA in position to take a free three points to begin the game. Other than that, the Bruins had just 141 passing yards, a very manageable number and one that should lead to many Duck wins. It certainly wasn't a perfect day for this unit, but, like each defensive group, was let down by the offense.
Special Teams
Grade: C+
Similar to the secondary, one play arguably defined the entire day. After their first touchdown, a failed two-point conversion attempt from the PAT group led to Oregon coming away with just six points instead of seven or eight. That proved to be the difference in the game — either the Ducks get the conversion and are in position to win with a PAT or they kick two PATs and send the game to overtime. Instead, they were forced to attempt another two-point conversion that they also failed. On the bright side, punter Bailey Ettridge (48.2 yards per boot, two downed inside the 20-yard line) is proving himself as one of the top players at his position in college football.
Coaching
Grade: D
How can a team appear so unprepared coming off a bye week? That's a question that only the coaching staff can answer, as it led to the Ducks' second loss. It was appalling how unprepared Raiola and the offense looked as a whole, with a lot of that reasoning being pointed at the coaching staff. The play-calls offensively were questionable, with Oregon even being forced to go to an I-formation in the second half with literally nothing else working. That's an issue.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Week 6 Report Card: Ducks' offense receives subpar grades against UCLA
