Travis Dye scored four rushing touchdowns despite running for only 35 yards on 14 carries, and No. 10 Oregon rallied from a 14-point deficit for a 34-31 win over UCLA Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
Dye, at one point in the game, had all four touchdown runs on four consecutive carries. Quarterback Anthony Brown completed 29 of 39 passes for 296 yards, but two fourth-quarter interceptions gave the Bruins a chance to come back.
UCLA had the ball in Oregon territory with a minute to play, but backup quarterback Ethan Garbers was picked off by Oregon’s D.J. James to seal the Ducks’ win. Garbers had to come in when starter Dorian Thompson-Robinson had to exit during the drive after a hard hit.
The Ducks (6-1, 3-1 Pac-12) scored three second-half touchdowns, two in the third quarter for Dye and a 43-yard run up the middle for a touchdown for Brown. The Ducks also blocked a punt in the third quarter, which set up a score, and star defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux was a disruptor with two sacks, numerous pressures and hits and a team-high eight solo tackles.
But the Bruins rallied from a 34-17 deficit with two touchdowns, their last with 6:34 to play in the game on Brittain Brown’s one-yard touchdown run after Brown was intercepted.
UCLA (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12) got 216 passing yards from Thompson-Robinson, who also ran for a fourth-quarter touchdown.
UCLA scored on its opening drive, then added a short touchdown pass from Thompson-Robinson to Kazmeir Allen for a 14-0 first quarter lead.
After Dye had a touchdown called back for being down at the 1-yard line, Brown’s pass was tipped and intercepted. But UCLA was offside, and Dye punched it in on the next play.
The Ducks had never trailed by more than 10 points at any point in a game this season, but they tied the score after a missed field goal. A 12-play, 80-yard drive ended with Dye running four yards to tie the score with 2:49 to play in the half.
The Bruins drove for a field goal to take a 17-14 lead into halftime. They held a rushing offense averaging 210 yards per game to 35 in the first half and 121 for the game.
Oregon has won the last nine meetings. All three of UCLA’s losses this year have come at home.
–Field Level Media