LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oregon’s first game as a member of the Big Ten Conference will be against a familiar opponent — UCLA.
It also comes with a kickoff time that most thought would be a thing of the past when both schools left the Pac-12.
The game between the eighth-ranked Ducks and Bruins will kick off at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Rose Bowl. The start time comes later than the old “Pac-12 After Dark” days, when Saturday night games typically went off at 7 or 7:30 p.m.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning and UCLA’s DeShaun Foster aren’t getting caught up in the concerns about a late kickoff, even though the fan bases from both schools aren’t pleased.
After all, earlier kickoffs and not going up against “Saturday Night Live” or in a window largely ignored by football fans in the Eastern time zone was one of the reasons administrators and athletic directors used for the move.
It is UCLA’s first 8 p.m. kickoff since the 1999 season opener at Ohio State when Foster was a sophomore running back for the Bruins. The last time they kicked off that late on the West Coast was in 1990 at Washington State.
Oregon’s has been more recent, with a 45-27 win at home over Stanford on Oct. 1, 2022.
“It’s two West Coast teams, so the time shouldn’t be too bad for either of us,” Foster said. “I’m not worried about that, but the Rose Bowl should be rocking.”
Since rallying to beat Hawaii in their opener, the Bruins (1-2, 0-1 Big Ten) have been soundly defeated by Indiana and No. 14 LSU. UCLA was tied 17-17 at halftime last week against the Tigers but couldn’t get anything going in the second half in a 34-17 loss.
The Ducks (3-0) are coming off their first bye week of the season. After close calls against Idaho and Boise State, Oregon rolled to a 49-14 victory at Oregon State on Sept. 14.
Lanning also is trying to make the most of the situation with the late kickoff.
“That means more time for us to prepare, more time for us to get ready. We’re excited about the challenge and what that provides,” he said.
Oregon has won four straight and 10 of its last 11 meetings against UCLA.
Gabriel’s performance
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel leads the nation in completion percentage (84%) and has thrown for 914 yards and six touchdowns. In the win over the Beavers, the senior became the first quarterback this season to have a run of at least 50 yards and a completion of at least 60 yards in the same game.
Even with what he is accomplishing this season, Gabriel had to answer questions about leaving Oklahoma on Tuesday when Sooners coach Brent Venables said the sixth-year quarterback wanted to play closer to home in Hawaii and that offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s departure to become head coach at Mississippi State also was a factor.
“Honestly, it’s so far gone,” Gabriel said. “You focus on what you can control and that’s right where I’m at.”
UCLA running game stuck in neutral
UCLA has the fewest carries (68) and third-worst rushing offense in the nation, averaging 60.3 yards per game. Over the past four seasons, the Bruins averaged 218.9 yards per game, which was fifth.
That has put more pressure on quarterback Ethan Garbers. The senior has three touchdown passes but has committed six turnovers (four interceptions and two fumbles).
The lack of production in the ground game has to be particularly frustrating for Foster, who was the running backs coach before being named head coach.
“It might not be the numbers we want, but it’s improving each week,” Foster said. “They want to be able to run the ball. I’m not gonna say it’s dormant or anything like that, but it’s getting there.”
Shuffling the line
On Monday, Lanning said that offensive lineman Matthew Bedford suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee injury during practice last week.
Bedford, who transferred from Indiana in the offseason and was projected to be the team’s starting right guard, was originally injured during fall camp. He was seen limping at practice Tuesday and didn’t take part Wednesday.
With Bedford sidelined, the Ducks have struggled to find cohesiveness on the offensive line for their first two games this season. It was believed he could possibly return in earnest against UCLA after playing for two snaps in Oregon’s victory over Oregon State.
Quick turnaround
The late kickoff will give both teams less time to prepare for their next games.
Oregon hosts Michigan State next Friday night, while UCLA has to fly cross-country for a noon Eastern kickoff at No. 9 Penn State.
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AP Sports Writer Anne Peterson in Eugene, Oregon, contributed to this story.
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