With their national title hopes all but gone, the ninth-ranked Oregon Ducks will now try to remain in the hunt for the Pac-10 title, as they take on the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl this weekend.

The Ducks are coming off a simply devastating loss, as they were upset at Arizona, 34-24, on November 15th. Oregon entered that game as the second-ranked team in the nation, but it was unable to get past an Arizona club that was sporting a losing record. The setback not only ruined the team's chances of reaching the national title game, but it also dropped the club one game behind Arizona State for first place in the Pac-10 standings at 5-2. Still, with an 8-2 mark, the Ducks are in the midst of a strong campaign that is set to conclude against rival Oregon State next weekend.

As for UCLA, it has struggled down the stretch and it still needs one more victory to become bowl eligible. The team was last in action on November 10th, when it suffered a 24-20 setback to nationally-ranked Arizona State. It was the third loss in a row by the Bruins, who dipped to an even 5-5 overall and 4-3 in league play. Following this game, UCLA will close out its regular season campaign against USC on December 1st.

The Bruins lead the all-time series with Oregon by a count for 38-22, but the Ducks have won five of the past six encounters, including a 30-20 triumph in Eugene last season.

The Ducks' loss to Arizona hurt in more ways than one, as Heisman hopeful Dennis Dixon suffered a torn ACL in the game and will miss the remainder of the season. His loss is a devastating one for Oregon, as the gunslinger had accounted for 29 touchdowns (20 passing) and 2,719 total yards (583 rushing), helping the team average 40.9 ppg and 505.8 total ypg. Brady Leaf stepped in under center after Dixon went down last game, but he completed just 22-of-46 pass attempts for 163 yards and two interceptions. It certainly wasn't an encouraging effort by Leaf, who has played very little this season. With the lack of a proven quarterback, expect the Ducks to rely more on Jonathan Stewart. One of the top backs in the league, Jonathan Stewart has rushed for 1,273 yards and 10 scores behind a 6.2 yard per carry average this season. He is one of the biggest reasons why the team has been able to average a healthy 268.1 ypg on the ground this year. Against Arizona, Jonathan Stewart carried 28 times for 131 yards in a losing cause.

Defensively, Oregon has done a good job keeping opposing teams from scoring (23.2 ppg), but the 396.3 total ypg it is allowing is a bit high. The unit, which has recorded 30 sacks, has had most of its problems against the pass, yielding 269.5 ypg through the air. In the team's last outing, the Ducks gave up only 322 total yards to Arizona, but 266 of those yards came via the pass. Still, the defense only allowed two touchdowns to Arizona's offense and surrendered only three points in the second half of the loss. Patrick Chung paced the Ducks in the loss with seven stops, giving him a team-high 95 tackles for the season. Nick Reed is another player worth noting, as he leads Oregon and the Pac-10 with 11 sacks and 19.5 TFLs.

The Bruins have been decimated by injuries on the offensive side of the ball this season, so the 25.2 ppg and 363.3 total ypg they are averaging isn't exactly all that bad. As a matter of fact, UCLA is now down to its third string quarterback Osaar Rasshan, who had been converted to wide receiver then switched back last month after injuries sidelined both Ben Olson and Patrick Cowan. Rasshan got the start last game against Arizona State and he threw for 181 yards and an interception on 14-of-27 pass attempts. He also ran for 41 yards on 13 carries. He is expected to get the start once again this weekend, but don't expect much from the quarterback that has thrown only 37 passes on the season. Rasshan, though, will be counted on to make plays, as the team also lost its leading rusher, Kahlil Bell (795 yards) for the season with a torn ACL. Craig Sheppard carried the ball a team-high 12 times last game, and he finished with a season-best 56 yards and a touchdown. This offense obviously has problems all over and a highly productive game from this unit is more than unlikely.

On the defensive side of the ball, UCLA has done a respectable job this season, holding its opponents to 24.9 ppg and 361.2 total ypg. The unit has fared well against the run (111.1 ypg), and it has also been effective getting to opposing quarterbacks, recording 30 sacks. In the team's last outing, the Bruins did a solid job in limiting Arizona State to just 352 total yards, although it came in a losing cause. Still, the defense forced a pair of turnovers and recorded six sacks to give the team a chance to win. Chris Horton notched his first three sacks of the season in the loss, and Dennis Keyes turned in 14 stops. On the season, Keyes leads the club with 84 tackles, while Bruce Davis leads the team with 9.5 sacks and 10.5 TFLs.