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UCLA delivers first victory over Oregon in a decade, in an entirely unexpected way

Oregon running back Darian Felix fumbles as he is hit by UCLA defenders Darnay Holmes (1) and Jaleel Wadood (4) during the first half Saturday at the Rose Bowl.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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UCLA found an unlikely accomplice on the way to its first victory over Oregon in a decade.

A defense that had been pummeled over the first half of the season delivered a wicked counterpunch during the Bruins’ 31-14 triumph over the Ducks on Saturday afternoon before 55,711 at the Rose Bowl.

UCLA did not allow a point in the second half for the first time this season and forced two turnovers while committing none, a major coup for a team that ranked among the worst in the nation in turnover margin.

“We ended up getting a whole lot of things fixed that we needed to,” Bruins safety Adarius Pickett said after his team’s first victory over Oregon since 2007, ending a six-game losing streak in the series.

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Realizing that Oregon would rely heavily on the run while playing with backup quarterback Braxton Burmeister, UCLA rolled up 11 tackles for loss and sacked Burmeister four times after having zero sacks in its previous three games.

Burmeister struggled in his third start in place of injured Justin Herbert, completing eight of 15 passes for 74 yards with an interception and running 16 times for only 27 yards, though two went for touchdowns.

“We just knew we had to lock him down and I thought we did pretty well,” said UCLA defensive end Jaelan Phillips, who delivered a vicious sack in his return from an ankle injury that had sidelined him since Sept. 16.

UCLA (4-3 overall, 2-2 Pac-12) held Oregon (4-4, 1-4) to 320 total yards, including 246 rushing yards. It qualified as significant progress for a team that entered the game allowing an average of 523 yards per game, including 313 rushing yards.

Oregon tailback Royce Freeman became the leading rusher in school history with 160 yards in 29 carries. That gave him 5,103 yards for his career, surpassing LaMichael James’ 5,082.

It wasn’t enough. Freeman produced only a few of the long runs that have hurt UCLA all season; his 25-yard run was one of only two Oregon plays that went for more than 20 yards.

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“They broke a couple on us,” Bruins coach Jim Mora said, “but we were able to contain like the huge run that has been hurting us.”

UCLA’s defensive effort wasn’t perfect by any means. The Bruins helped Oregon sustain its two first-half touchdown drives with what defensive coordinator Tom Bradley called “dumb penalties” on third down.

But UCLA withstood a wave of injuries including the loss of linemen Jacob Tuioti-Mariner (internal injuries) and Matt Dickerson (collarbone). The Bruins’ linebacking corps was so thin that defensive end Keisean Lucier-South shifted to weakside linebacker and Pickett essentially became a linebacker at times by creeping toward the line of scrimmage.

The Bruins had to scrap their plans to redshirt freshman Greg Rogers, which paid off when the defensive lineman beat his counterpart to get the penetration that helped stop the Ducks on fourth down early in the fourth quarter.

UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen was efficient one week after a three-interception dud against Arizona, completing 21 of 36 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns. He received more than enough support from the Bruins’ defense and running game, which generated 142 yards and two touchdowns, including Bolu Olorunfunmi’s wacky vault into the end zone off the helmet of a defender at the end of a 22-yard run.

“I didn’t really have to push or do too much,” Rosen said. “That’s why you see no turnovers.”

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His one-yard touchdown pass to receiver Darren Andrews in the corner of the end zone gave UCLA a 31-14 lead early in the fourth quarter and provided the final points during a second half in which the Bruins outscored the Ducks, 17-0.

The Bruins held Oregon scoreless in three of four quarters after yielding points in 19 consecutive quarters, beginning with the second quarter of their victory over Hawaii on Sept. 9. A big part of UCLA’s defensive turnaround was its takeaways.

Safety Jaleel Wadood stripped the ball from Oregon tailback Darrian Felix on the Ducks’ first drive and Tuioti-Mariner recovered at the Ducks’ 45-yard line. It was the Bruins’ first takeaway since the first quarter of their game against Stanford on Sept. 23.

“We needed it,” Wadood said. “It’s just me running around, flying to the ball. No real secret.”

The UCLA defense provided another boost late in the third quarter when cornerback Colin Samuel intercepted a pass at the Bruins’ four-yard line. He turned his head at precisely the right moment and wrestled the ball away from receiver Dillon Mitchell, helping to preserve UCLA’s 24-14 advantage.

Mora wrapped an arm around Samuel’s neck afterward, a tender moment generated by a defense in need of some positive reinforcement after some epic struggles.

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“Today, at some point,” Mora said, “all the hard work and the resolve and the attitude and the commitment and the investment, it starts to pay off.”

ben.bolch@latimes.com

Follow Ben Bolch on Twitter @latbbolch

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