UCLA @ Oregon preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 21, 2010 ) UCLA 13, Oregon 60

THE STORY: A Rose Bowl berth is on the line when Oregon hosts UCLA in Friday’s inaugural Pac-12 Championship. The No. 7 Ducks beat out Stanford for the North crown, while UCLA squeaked in as the South’s representative. The division title didn’t prevent Rick Neuheisel from losing his job as UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero announced his firing two days after Saturday’s horrific 50-0 loss to USC. The Trojans also spoiled Oregon’s season, beating the Ducks 38-35 on Nov. 19 to knock Oregon out of the national championship picture. The winner meets the Big Ten champ (either Wisconsin or Michigan State) in the Rose Bowl.

TV: Fox. LINE: Oregon -31.5

ABOUT OREGON (10-2, 8-1 Pac-12 North): The Ducks have scored 551 points, second-most in school history behind last season’s 611. First-team all-Pac-12 running back LaMichael James leads the nation in rushing at 142.7 yards per game and ranks fourth in conference history with 4,704 yards. He needs 107 yards to pass USC’s Marcus Allen. Junior quarterback Darron Thomas has 27 touchdown passes against just five interceptions. Thomas has 60 career TD passes, two behind the school record held by Danny O’Neil (1991-94). Oregon has three first-team all-conference defensive players in junior defensive end Dion Jordan (team-high 12 tackles for loss), senior linebacker Josh Kaddu (tied with Jordan for the sack leadership with 6.5) and senior safety Eddie Pleasant (team-best three interceptions).

ABOUT UCLA (6-6, 5-4 Pac-12 South): Neuheisel is 21-28 in four seasons entering his final game. He will not coach UCLA in a bowl game if it qualifies. Senior receiver Nelson Rosario has 1,008 receiving yards and ranks fifth in school history with 2,209 yards. Junior middle linebacker Patrick Larimore has a team-best 75 tackles. The Bruins didn’t have a single offensive or defensive player named to the all-conference first or second team. Derrick Coleman was a second-teamer as a special teams standout.

EXTRA POINTS

1. UCLA leads the series 39-25 but the Ducks have won nine of the last 11 meetings, including 60-13 in 2010.

2. Oregon running back De’Anthony Thomas was Pac-12 co-Offensive Freshman of the Year with 1,908 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns.

3. UCLA last won a conference title in 1998 when it went 10-2, 8-0 under Bob Toledo.

PREDICTION: Oregon 58, UCLA 6 – This will get ugly early and the Ducks can pick and choose the winning margin.