UCLA 16, Oregon 0
This was a game that will look a lot better 10 years from now than it does right now.
When we look back on it, it will be ...
1. A UCLA upset of ninth-ranked Oregon.
2. A home shutout, UCLA's first shutout of the Ducks since 1979.
3. The Bruins' sixth victory, making them bowl-eligible.
For right now, though? It was UCLA not stinking up the joint quite as badly as did the Ducks
UCLA's scoring "drives" covered minus-4, 15, 6 and 31 yards. The first three were set up by Oregon turnovers, basically unforced by UCLA ... and the final, the game's only touchdown, came after a short punt, a 19-yard return and a 31-yard "march" against a disspirited Oregon defense.
In point of fact, it was a heinously ugly game. Two teams trying to outdo each other in offensive incompetence, and the Ducks winning. And, thus, losing.
There are scads of negative stats around this game, but this is my favorite: The five quarterbacks who played were a collective 15-of-56 for 169 passing yards with five interceptions and no touchdowns.
And this one: Oregon averaged 1.9 yards per play ... in 78 plays.
Anyone who saw this knows it was an awful game. A beat-up UCLA team catching a gutted Oregon team at just the right moment.
But 16-0 ... it'll look a lot better the farther away from it we get.