Jim Mora, Def. Coord. Get Into Heated Exchange In UCLA's Loss To Oregon
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- Marcus Mariota ran for two touchdowns and passed for 210 yards and two more scores as No. 12 Oregon rebounded from its first loss with a 42-30 victory over No. 18 UCLA on Saturday.
Royce Freeman rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns for the Ducks (5-1, 2-1 Pac-12), who haven't lost consecutive games since 2007. Thomas Tyner and Pharaoh Brown caught TD passes as Oregon built a 42-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.
A week after a 31-24 home loss to Arizona, Oregon had little trouble in its sixth straight win over the Bruins (4-2, 1-2), who are probably out of the national title race after back-to-back defeats.
Brett Hundley passed for 216 yards and ran for a score for the Bruins, who followed up their last-minute loss to Utah by falling into a huge early hole.
Paul Perkins rushed for 190 yards and Jordan Payton caught two fourth-quarter TD passes for UCLA. A large home crowd watched disconsolately as the Bruins, a preseason Top-10 team, failed to contend with Oregon's speed and sophistication.
UCLA coach Jim Mora and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich got into a heated exchange on the sideline after Oregon's second touchdown. While their players looked on uncomfortably, Ulbrich removed his headset and handed what appeared to be his play sheet to Mora during the discussion. Mora grabbed Ulbrich's face in both hands as the coaches calmed down.
But neither coach had an answer for Mariota, who revitalized his Heisman Trophy hopes with a stellar effort in his second career head-to-head meeting with Hundley.
After getting sacked 12 times in the past two games, Mariota was much more comfortable with left tackle Jake Fisher back from injury. Mariota rushed 13 yards for the Ducks' opening score after Hundley fumbled deep in Bruins territory, and Mariota later recovered his own fumble while rushing for a 23-yard score early in the second half.
After UCLA got only a field goal out of an 83-yard drive, Mariota hit Tyner for a 21-yard TD on a screen pass, prompting the sideline dispute between Mora and Ulbrich.
Mora, a longtime NFL defensive coordinator who coached Ulbrich with the San Francisco 49ers, apparently was unhappy enough to provoke a strong response from Ulbrich, the Bruins' rookie coordinator.
UCLA defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes also threw a punch after a play during the first half. He was penalized, but not ejected, and Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said the league would review the play.
Ka'imi Fairbairn, the UCLA kicker who missed two long field goal attempts with no time on the clock last week, missed a 41-yarder in the second quarter.
Oregon began to run away when Brown caught a 31-yard TD pass late in the first half, although UCLA pulled to 21-10 at halftime on Hundley's gutsy 16-yard TD run up the middle with 3 seconds left.
But Mariota capped the Ducks' first drive after halftime with an easy TD run up the middle, and Iko Ekpre-Olomu returned an interception moments later to the UCLA 10, setting up Freeman's second TD run and a 35-10 lead.
Payton and Nate Starks scored fourth-quarter TDs, and UCLA recovered an onside kick with 4:19 to play before Freeman recovered the Bruins' second onside attempt, allowing the Ducks to run out the clock.
Linebacker Myles Jack rushed for 14 yards on three carries for UCLA, also taking in a late 2-point conversion.