UCLA takes down Oregon: Bruins get breakthrough win over stumbling Ducks

UCLA's Cinderella start continued with a statement victory on Saturday, as the No. 21 Bruins stunned No. 13 Oregon 17-15 to reach 5-0 (3-0 Big Ten) under first-year coach Bob Chesney. The Ducks (3-2, 1-1) committed seven turnovers while struggling through a nightmarish offensive performance that cratered the College Football Playoff aspirations of the preseason's No. 2-ranked team.

At the end of a forgettable afternoon, the Ducks still had a chance to win it after getting the football back at their own 5-yard line with 48 seconds remaining. With third-string quarterback Brock Thomas in the game and no timeouts, Oregon couldn't conjure any game-winning magic.

Thomas found Evan Stewart for a 44-yard touchdown with 2:16 remaining to bring Oregon within 17-15. But UCLA stuffed the Ducks' 2-point conversion attempt, bringing a peculiar earlier decision into focus.

When Oregon scored to go ahead 6-3 in the first quarter, Ducks coach Dan Lanning opted to go for two. The attempt failed. With 52 minutes of football remaining, it seemed relatively inconsequential in the moment. However, the decision came back to bite Oregon in the end.

A year after going 3-9, the Bruins are well-positioned to challenge for a spot in the CFP…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/