UCLA @ Oregon preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 10, 2009 ) Oregon 24, UCLA 10

The nation’s No. 1 team has lost the past two weeks. Now it’s Oregon’s turn to see how it handles the top spot.

The Ducks, ranked No. 1 for the first time in school history, host UCLA Thursday night in a Pac-10 game at raucous Autzen Stadium. Oregon is 6-0 overall and leads the conference at 3-0.

The Ducks moved up to the top spot in the poll following losses by Alabama two weeks ago and Ohio State last Saturday. Oregon seems poised to stay on top a bit longer.

The Ducks are three-touchdown favorites over the Jekyll-and-Hyde Bruins, who are 3-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play.

UCLA seemed to be going in the right direction when it hammered Texas on Sept. 25. That was the second of three straight wins, but the Bruins were routed at California 35-7 two weeks ago. They were off last week.

The Bruins continue to struggle in the passing game. Kevin Prince has completed only 45 percent of his throws for 384 yards this season, and UCLA is ranked 118th nationally in passing offense. Prince also is dealing with a knee injury but is expected to play.

The Bruins have given sophomore Richard Brehaut several opportunities in relief of Prince but have gotten little in return. And Nelson Rosario, UCLA’s best receiver, is questionable with an ankle injury.

One thing UCLA does well is run the ball. UCLA averages 223 yards on the ground, which is 13th nationally. Johnathan Franklin has 679 yards rushing and five touchdowns, and Derrick Coleman has 332 yards rushing and four touchdowns.

Off the field, UCLA just suspended top return man Josh Smith and tight end Morrell Presley for violating team rules.

The Ducks are dominant on both sides of the ball. They average a nation-best 54.3 points a game and rank third in rushing and 16th in passing. The Ducks allow just 16.3 points a game, an extremely impressive number considering the Ducks usually score so quickly. Oregon has 29 plays of over 25 yards on the season.

LaMichael James leads the nation in rushing with 169.5 yards per game, and he’s scored 10 touchdowns. Quarterback Darron Thomas is a dual threat. Thomas has thrown for 1,231yards and 14 touchdowns, and rushed for two scores.

Oregon has plenty of incentive to win big. While the Ducks took over the top spot in all three major polls this week, they are No.2 in the all-important BCS standings. Oregon is one of 10 major college teams still undefeated and even narrow victories could juggle the BCS rankings.

Oregon is aiming for its third straight win over UCLA.