Stunner in Eugene: No. 21 UCLA Edges No. 13 Oregon 17-15 Behind Backup QB
College football delivered one of the season's biggest upsets on October 10, as No. 21 UCLA stunned No. 13 Oregon 17-15 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene — a win for the Bruins' history books.
The game was a roller coaster. UCLA led 10-6 at halftime. Early in the fourth quarter, backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to running back Wayne Knight, who beat his defender to the end zone to stretch the lead to 17-6. Oregon clawed back to 17-15 and earned a chance to tie with two minutes left — needing just one yard on a two-point conversion. But running back Jordon Davison was stuffed short of the goal line by Jalen Woods and Tyson Ford. With 48 seconds left, Oregon launched a desperate drive from its own 5-yard line, only for a fumbled lateral on the final play to be recovered by UCLA, killing the miracle.
The win was hard-earned. Starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava injured his leg late in the second quarter when sandwiched between two Oregon defenders; after returning for one more play, he sat out the second half. Third-stringer Dieffenbach — a Cal Poly transfer who had not appeared all season — stepped in and completed 3 of 6 passes for 43 yards and the game-winning touchdown.
Oregon, meanwhile, was booed by its own fans at halftime. Starter Dylan Raiola completed just 6 of 19 passes for 43 yards with two interceptions before being benched for third-stringer Brock Thomas. The Ducks managed only 272 total yards — 58 in the first half — and committed seven turnovers, tying a season high in the FBS.
The victory is monumental for UCLA: its first win in Eugene since 2004 and its first over Oregon since 2017. At 5-0 (3-0 in the Big Ten), head coach Bob Chesney became the first coach in school history to win his first five games, and the unbeaten Bruins thrust themselves firmly into the College Football Playoff mix. Oregon fell to 3-2, its season suddenly in doubt.
After arguably the worst game of his career, Raiola faced the media and took responsibility. He said his younger brother looks up to him — "this isn't just football, this is life" — and that tough situations must be owned, not dodged. "The product we put out there, the product I put out there, I gotta live with that," he added.
Up next, UCLA hosts Wisconsin at the Rose Bowl on October 17 to open a three-game homestand.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 俄勒冈大学 Autzen 球场外观（大「O」标志），Kingofthedead 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0（Wikimedia Commons）
