PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Dillon Gabriel threw three touchdown passes and moved up in the NCAA record books as eighth-ranked Oregon rolled to a 34-13 victory over UCLA on Saturday night in its first Big Ten game.
Tez Johnson had 11 receptions for 121 yards and two TDs as the Ducks (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) picked up their 12th victory in their least 13 meetings against the Bruins. Jordan James added 103 yards rushing and a touchdown on 20 carries.
Oregon took control as it scored on its first five possessions. The Ducks are unbeaten after four games for the second straight year, and third since 2015.
UCLA (1-3, 0-2) has dropped three straight in DeShaun Foster’s first season as coach.
Gabriel — who completed 31 of 41 passes for 280 yards — became the fourth Football Bowl Subdivision player to reach 16,000 yards passing for his career and moved into a three-way tie for third with 134 touchdown passes.
The sixth-year senior has 16,059 yards in 54 games at three different schools. He played parts of three seasons at UCF before transferring to Oklahoma, where he played in 2022 and ’23. Gabriel decided to play his final year at Oregon because the Hawaii native wanted to play closer to home.
Gabriel’s best pass came midway through the second quarter when he connected with Johnson for a 52-yard touchdown.
Johnson blew past UCLA’s coverage, caught the ball at the 10 and went untouched into the end zone to extend the Ducks’ lead to three touchdowns. Tight end Kenyon Sadiq then lined up at quarterback and threw a pass to Terrance Ferguson for the 2-point conversion to extend Oregon’s lead to 25-3.
Johnson then had a 12-yard grab near the back of the end zone early in the fourth quarter to make it 34-13. It is the second time this season and sixth in his career that the senior has had double-digit catches.
Gabriel’s other touchdown pass came on Oregon’s opening possession of Big Ten play when Traeshon Johnson’s reception for 11 yards capped an 11-play, 75-yard series.
Gabriel’s only mistake came late in the second quarter when Bryan Addison had a 96-yard pick six to get the Bruins to 28-10 at halftime.
On third-and-goal at the UCLA 6, Gabriel scrambled out of the pocket and threw it as Johnson slipped while making a cut. That allowed Addison, who began his career at Oregon, to easily pick off the pass and run it back for UCLA’s first interception return for a TD since Jaylin Davies in the 2022 Sun Bowl against Pittsburgh.
Bruins quarterback Ethan Garbers was 12 of 20 for 118 yards and two interceptions. The senior was sacked four times and left the game during the fourth quarter with what appeared to be an ankle injury.
The takeaway
Oregon: While most of the attention goes to the offense, the defense continues to be stout. The Ducks have sacked opposing quarterbacks 11 times and is allowing only 154.8 passing yards per game.
UCLA: The Bruins’ offense under first-year coordinator Eric Bieniemy has gone six quarters since it last reached the end zone.
Poll implications
Oregon should move up at least one spot after sixth-ranked Mississippi’s loss to Kentucky.
Up next
Oregon: Welcomes Michigan State on Friday night in the Ducks’ first Big Ten home game.
UCLA: Travels to ninth-ranked Penn State in what will be a 9 a.m. PDT kickoff on Saturday.
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