Thanks to USC, Oregon Still Alive for Rose, BCS Bowl Bid

Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. PST at the Rose Bowl with a live regional telecast on ABC.

Patrick Chung and the Oregon defense will be leaned on heavily at UCLA. Photo courtesy: goducks.com

EUGENE, Ore. - No. 9 Oregon is still very much alive in the Rose Bowl race and BCS bowl hunt as they travel to Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday to face UCLA.

Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. PST at the Rose Bowl with a live regional telecast on ABC. Dan Fouts heads the broadcast crew with Tim Brant providing analysis, and Todd Harris reporting from the sidelines.

THE SERIES:

• UCLA leads the all-time series, 38-22, but the Ducks have won five of six meeting since 2000, including last year’s 30-20 victory at Autzen Stadium.

• Oregon (8-2, 5-2 Pac-10) has won three straight in Pasadena and is 6-5 all-time against the Bruins (5-5, 4-3 Pac-10) at the Rose Bowl.

QUICK HITS:

• The Ducks have not surrendered a rushing TD inside the Red Zone in five straight games.

• SR QB Dennis Dixon has been named one of three finalists for both the Maxwell Award and the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award.

• With 236 all-purpose yards at Arizona, JR RB Jonathan Stewart became the first Duck to crack 2,000 all-purpose yards in a single season. He now has 2,003.

• Saturday’s game at UCLA is Oregon’s third live telecast on ABC this season this season.

• The Ducks did not have a Pac-10 Player of the Week for the first time in five weeks, not including byes.

• Oregon ranks second nationally in tackles for loss, averaging 9.3 per game.

• JR RB Jonathan Stewart is the Pac-10 leader and ranks ninth nationally in rushing at 127.3 yards per game.

• When a torn ACL ended SR QB Dennis Dixon’s UO career last week, he became the seventh Oregon player this season to suffer a potential season-ending injury, with five of those in the starting lineup at the time.

ABOUT THE BRUINS:

UCLA got out of the gate in fine Pac-10 form in 2007, winning its first four conference games. But in the midst of that success was a pair of ugly non-conference defeats at the hands of Utah (44-6) and Notre Dame (20-6) that ended up as a precursor for things to come.

After taking down then-No. 10 California at home on Oct. 20, the Bruins have dropped three straight, falling from first to fifth in the Pac-10 race. Now UCLA must end the regular season against a pair of ranked sides in No. 9 Oregon and No. 11 USC - arguably its most difficult two-game stretch of the season.

Redshirt SO QB Osaar Rasshan is in line for his second career start. Rasshan completed 14-of-27 passes for 181 yards with an interception in the Bruins’ Nov. 10 loss against then-No. 9 Arizona State. Rasshan also carried the ball a team-high 13 times for 41 yards.

He’s the fourth quarterback the Bruins have used this season after being considered at the wide receiver position.

UCLA’s top rusher JR TB Kahlil Bell is injured, moving SO TB Craig Sheppard, a non-scholarship player to the top of the depth chart. Sheppard had 56 yards and a TD on 12 carries in his first extended action during the Bruins’ loss to the Sun Devils.

Although they rank in the bottom half of the Pac-10 in all offensive categories, the Bruins are fourth in total defense (361.2 ypg) and fourth in rushing defense (111.1 ypg).

SR FS Dennis Keyes is team’s leading tackler, averaging 8.4 per game, and also has a pair of interceptions, including one for a touchdown. Keyes is one of six seniors among the defensive starters for fifth-year head coach Karl Dorrell.

OREGON VS. UCLA THUMBNAILS:

• SR WR Garren Strong has played two career games against UCLA (the teams did not meet in 2005) and has three catches for 35 yards.

• One of JR RB Jonathan Stewart’s 12 career 100-yard rushing games took place against the Bruins, when he ran for 121 yards on 20 carries in last year’s win.

• UCLA SR TB Chris Markey is averaging 114 yards rushing and 50 yards receiving per game in two career appearances against the Ducks.

• Oregon ranks fifth nationally in total offense (505.8 ypg) while UCLA is 82nd (363.3).

• The Bruins lead the Pac-10 in kickoff returns and place fourth nationally with an average of 27.6.

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