Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-11 · by Anne M. Peterson The Associated Press
In a turnover-plagued game in Eugene, Oregon, No. 21 UCLA defeated No. 13 Oregon 17-15, with Wayne Knight contributing a rushing and receiving touchdown. The Bruins' backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach stepped up after starting QB Nico Iamaleava was injured, leading UCLA to their fifth consecutive win while Oregon's playoff hopes dimmed with their second loss of the season. Both teams combined for ten turnovers, but it was UCLA’s defensive effort in the final minute that secured the victory.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Wayne Knight rushed for a touchdown and caught another score, and No. 21 UCLA overcame an injury to starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava to remain undefeated with a 17-15 victory over No. 13 Oregon on Saturday.
asserted
UCLA → rush → Saturday
Knight ran for 103 yards on 22 carries and caught three passes for 12 yards, including a fourth-quarter, 9-yard touchdown reception from backup Ty Dieffenbach for the Bruins (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten).
asserted
Knight → run → Bruins
The sloppy game featured 10 turnovers, including seven for the Ducks (3-2, 1-1), who saw their chances for a spot in the College Football Playoff fade with a second loss.
asserted
chances → feature → loss
“From the start, we came out, we punched them, and we just kept on going,” Knight said.
asserted
Knight → come → them
“We had a couple of mishaps, but we bounced back every single time.”
asserted
we → have → mishaps
Oregon came close with Evan Stewart’s 44-yard scoring pass from Brock Thomas to make it 17-15 with 2:16 left.
asserted
Oregon → come → 2:16
UCLA was flagged for a facemask penalty on Oregon’s 2-point conversion try, giving the Ducks another shot from a half yard away.
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UCLA → flag → shot
UCLA’s defense smothered rusher Jordon Davison to thwart the Ducks.
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defense → smother → Ducks
The Ducks had one final drive with less than a minute left but a lost fumble and fell short as time ran out.
“You’ve got to protect the ball, right?
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You → have → ball
You can coach it and you can say it, but if it shows up, you’re not coaching it well enough.
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you → coach → it
You’re not doing a good enough job there,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said.
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Lanning → do → job
Iamaleava did not return in the second half because of a lower leg injury he sustained late in the opening half.
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he → return → half
He completed 10 of 17 passes for 162 yards and threw two interceptions.
asserted
He → complete → interceptions
Dieffenbach took over for Iamaleava and threw for 43 yards and a touchdown.
asserted
Dieffenbach → take → yards
“When someone goes down and someone’s got to step up, I say it every single time, is that you’re either exposed or you’re revealed, right?
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you → go → it
One of the two is gonna happen,” UCLA coach Bob Chesney said.
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Chesney → go → two
“When your number gets called, for Ty to step up in that moment, when Nico couldn’t go, and he put himself in a spot where he was revealed for knowing our run game, knowing what to get us into.
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he → call → us
Dylan Raiola started for the Ducks at quarterback in place of Dante Moore, who remains in concussion protocol.
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who → start → protocol
Moore was hit in the first quarter of the Ducks’ 41-27 victory at USC on Sept. 26 and left the game by ambulance.
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Moore → hit → ambulance
Raiola threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns against the Trojans and made his first start for the Ducks against the Bruins.
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Raiola → throw → Bruins
Raiola, the first backup QB to start for Oregon since Braxton Burmeister in 2017, transferred to Oregon from Nebraska in the offseason.
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Raiola → start → offseason
Raiola completed only six of 18 passes for 43 yards and two interceptions for the Ducks before he was replaced in the fourth quarter by Thomas.
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he → complete → Thomas
UCLA has 10 interceptions this season, most in the nation.
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UCLA → have → nation
“The product we put out there, the product I put out there, I’ve got to live with that.
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I → put → that
So I’ve got to own everything, take it on the chin and move forward,” Raiola said.
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Raiola → get → chin
The Bruins got to the Oregon 2 on their first series of the game, but settled for Mateen Bhaghani’s 21-yard field goal.
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Bruins → get → goal
After Iamaleava was sacked and fumbled on the UCLA 1, Oregon recovered and Davison scored with a 1-yard run on the team’s first play to put the Ducks up 7-3.
asserted
Davison → sack → Ducks
Raiola was sacked and fumbled the ball away in the third quarter, and UCLA capitalized with Knight’s 35-yard touchdown run to put the Bruins up 10-6.
asserted
UCLA → sack → Bruins
UCLA had a chance to extend the lead but Matayo Uiagalelei blocked a 27-yard field goal attempt by Bhaghani.
asserted
Uiagalelei → have → Bhaghani
Iamaleava was brought down by Bear Alexander and Jerry Mixon on a keeper late in the half, but he returned.
asserted
he → bring → half
However, he did not start the second half.
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he → start → half
Raiola was intercepted late in the half but then Iamaleava was picked off by the Ducks on the ensuing series.
asserted
Iamaleava → intercept → series
Dieffenbach hit Knight with a 9-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to make it 17-6 before Oregon’s Gage Hurych made a 26-yard field goal to narrow it to 17-9 with 5:16 left in the game.
asserted
Hurych → hit → game
Up Next
UCLA hosts Wisconsin, which had a bye this weekend, next Saturday.
asserted
which → host → bye
Oregon hosts Nebraska, which lost 20-17 earlier in the day to Indiana, next Saturday.
___
asserted
which → host → Indiana
The Aporia
