No. 21 UCLA pulls off upset over No. 13 Oregon after forcing 6 turnovers

The No. 21 UCLA Bruins pulled off a big upset victory over No. 13 Oregon on Saturday afternoon, winning 17-15 .

UCLA's defense was the story, forcing six turnovers: four fumbles and two interceptions. The Bruins also came up big with a 2-point conversion stop that clinched the win.

The Ducks were without starting quarterback Dante Moore, who is still recovering from the concussion sustained against USC. As a result, Oregon went with backup Dylan Raiola. The Nebraska transfer looked like a completely different quarterback this week.

In his last game against USC, Raiola threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns after taking over for Moore. This week against UCLA, he struggled, throwing for just 43 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. He also lost a fumble.

The Bruins defense held the Ducks to just 89 yards of offense and five first downs through three quarters. Head coach Dan Lanning benched Raiola with 13 minutes left in the game, opting for third-string quarterback Brock Thomas.

It looked like Thomas would spark Oregon, helping lead the Ducks down the field. Then, the Bruins logged their sixth takeaway as Thomas fumbled the snap on a fourth-down attempt.

UCLA's defense benefited from Raiola's early struggles, but the team couldn't turn it into offensive production. Bruins starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava left the game at halftime with a lower-body injury.

Head coach Bob Chesney said Iamaleava was fine heading into the half, but the QB didn't return from the locker room for the start of the second half.

Iamaleava finally returned to the sideline with about a minute left in the third quarter. The team ruled him out for the rest of the game.

Backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach did just enough to help UCLA cling to its lead. He hit Wayne Knight for a short 9-yard score early in the fourth quarter to help seal the game. Knight finished with 103 yards and a score on 22 carries, and added the second TD through the air.

UCLA's defense came up huge again. After Oregon scored a touchdown, the Bruins were whistled for a penalty, putting the 2-point conversion inside the 1-yard line. It seemed like the Ducks would punch in the conversion easily, but UCLA stopped the rush attempt, preserving the two-point lead.

This was the Bruins' first win at Oregon since 2004.

The Bruins will now wait to hear how severe Iamaleava's injury is. When he initially suffered it, he was writhing on the ground and grasping at his calf. But then he walked off on his own, missed one play and returned for the final play before halftime, an interception in the Oregon end zone.

UCLA won one of its biggest games left on the schedule. The Bruins aren't projected to play another ranked team until Nov. 28, when they face USC, currently No. 19.

Next week, the Bruins will travel to face the Wisconsin Badgers and hope Iamaleava is healthy.

Oregon will host Nebraska as the Ducks hope to get Moore back under center.