Game day basics: Notes for No. 10 Oregon Ducks vs. No. 9 UCLA Bruins at Autzen Stadium

Chris Hansen, Register-Guard
·4 min read
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Oregon players celebrate a touchdown by running back Jordan James, center, as the Oregon Ducks take on the Stanford Cardinal on Oct. 1 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.
Oregon players celebrate a touchdown by running back Jordan James, center, as the Oregon Ducks take on the Stanford Cardinal on Oct. 1 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.
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No. 10 Oregon (5-1, 3-0) vs. No. 9 UCLA (6-0, 3-0)

It never rains in Autzen Stadium

But it does in Eugene, and Saturday's weather.com forecast calls for an 84% chance of rain with a high temperature of 53 degrees. In other words, despite stadium announcer Don Essig's memorable catchphrase, dress appropriately.

About the opponent

UCLA Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) sets to pass in the second half against the Washington Huskies at the Rose Bowl.
UCLA Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) sets to pass in the second half against the Washington Huskies at the Rose Bowl.

Coach Chip Kelly has things cooking in Westwood, as the Bruins are off to their best start since opening the 2005 season 8-0.

Fifth-year senior quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson has thrown for 1,510 yards (251.7 per game), 15 touchdowns and two interceptions and leads the Pac-12 with a 180.58 pass-efficiency grade. He also has rushed for 231 yards and four TDs.

Running back Zach Charbonnet, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound senior, leads the Pac-12 in rushing with 123 yards per game. He's coming off his finest performance of the season with 198 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries against Utah.

The Bruins opened the season with some lopsided wins against inferior opponents in Bowling Green (45-17), Alabama State (45-7) and Colorado (45-17), though they also barely survived a game against South Alabama (32-31). But UCLA has proven itself in its last two games with home wins against Washington (40-32) and No. 15 Utah (42-32), which are both 5-2.

ESPN's 'College GameDay' will be in Eugene

ESPN's "College GameDay" pregame show will return to Eugene for the first time since 2018 and 11th time overall.

The national road show typically broadcasts live from the site of one of the top games of the week.

The Ducks record when "College GameDay" is in Eugene is 7-3, beginning with a 29-10 win over UCLA on Sept. 23, 2000.

Overall, Oregon is 16-11 when the show is at its games, including last season when the Ducks beat the Bruins at the Rose Bowl.

The set for "College GameDay" will be at Memorial Quad, airing from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday.

The return of Chip Kelly

Chip Kelly is entering his fifth season as UCLA's football coach.
Chip Kelly is entering his fifth season as UCLA's football coach.

It's now been 10 years since Kelly left the Ducks for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, ending what was the most successful four-season stretch in the history of the program.

With Kelly at the helm, Oregon went 48-7 overall and 33-3 in conference games from 2009-12, and played in the 2011 BCS national championship game — losing 22-19 to Auburn — two Rose Bowls and the Fiesta Bowl.

He hasn't been nearly as successful since returning to college football at UCLA in 2018. The Bruins are 24-25 in his five seasons, including 0-3 against the Ducks, with two of those losses coming at Autzen Stadium.

“It’s always special going back there," Kelly said Monday. "It’s a special place in my life. There’s a lot of great people there who had a profound impact on my life. But I’m not playing the game. … This is a business trip, just like any other away game.”

The last time Ducks, Bruins met

Oregon trailed 14-0 after one quarter at the Rose Bowl before going on a 34-3 scoring run leading to an eventual 34-31 victory in 2021.

The Ducks defense held the Bruins to 352 yards of offense, Charbonnet rushed for just 35 yards on 15 carries and Thompson-Robinson threw for 220 yards, one touchdown and one interception of 22-of-41 passing. He was also sacked four times.

What they're wearing

The Ducks will wear their Stomp Out Cancer awareness uniforms against the Bruins.

Winning streaks on the line

Oregon has won 22 straight at Autzen Stadium, which is the third-longest active winning streak in the nation and one win shy of the school record of 23 set between 1997-2001. The Ducks have also won 16 straight home games against conference opponents and could set a program record with a win Saturday.

Autzen Stadium policies

  • Fans may bring in one clear bag no larger than 12" x 6" x 12" or a 1-gallon plastic storage bag.

  • Fans are limited to one clear bag per person, along with a small clutch or purse for privacy.

  • The permitted seat cushion size is 17.5 inches wide by 13.5 inches deep with a seat back that does not exceed 19 inches. The cushion itself can be no more than 4 inches thick.

  • There is no reentry into the stadium once you leave.

Catch up on the Ducks' season

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon football vs. UCLA: 'College GameDay' headed to Eugene