UCLA Football: 3 takeaways vs. Oregon
By Dana Becker
A man on an island
Royce Freeman was around Eugene when the Ducks were competing for conference titles and major bowl games. Over the past year-plus, Freeman has experienced some low moments with Oregon. On Saturday, Freeman ran for 160 yards on 29 carries, but it was nowhere near enough vs. UCLA.
Without Justin Herbert under center and running the offense, Oregon looks lost on the field. That’s no fault of Freeman, who opted to return for his senior season after injuries hindered him last year.
After opening the season with three straight 150-yard rushing games, Freeman was held under 81 in the next three. Since, he has turned in performances of 143 and 160 in convincing defeats at the hands of Stanford and the Bruins.
Herbert was able to keep teams from focusing on Freeman and make plays. Right now, true freshman quarterback Braxton Burmeister is just not comfortable enough in the offense to do that and give Oregon a chance to win.