Mark Helfrich calls Jordan Burch the 'Freak on the Edge' as Ducks dominate UCLA in first half

The Ducks' Big Ten opener was against a familiar foe in a very familiar place. Oregon took on former Pac-12 opponent UCLA on the road and obliterated the Bruins on both sides of the ball. While the Bruins' offensive line is nothing special, the Oregon defense left absolutely no room for error and jumped at any opportunity that UCLA let slip.

One defensive star stood out in particular and the game's color commentator Mark Helfrich referred to him as the "Freak on the Edge." Defensive end Jordan Burch had a career game against UCLA with multiple tackles for loss to his name.

Burch transferred to Oregon in 2023 after spending his first two collegiate seasons with the South Carolina Gamecocks. Since transferring, Burch has become a beast for Oregon's opponents to try to handle.

While Helfrich and play-by-play commentator Connor Onion discussed the highlights of Burch's game, the camera kept cutting to former Duck Kayvon Thibodeaux, a star linebacker for Oregon and now the New York Giants.

At 6-foot-6 and 295 pounds, it's nearly impossible to stop Burch simply due to his size but his shocking top speed and agility on the field make him that much harder to slow down as he storms toward the backfield.

Alongside Burch, his defensive teammates Kobe Savage and Bryce Boettcher had career first halves against the Bruins. Savage earned 4 total tackles while Boettcher had a tackle and an interception to continue the Ducks' defensive dominance.

Not to mention, over all of Oregon's first five drives, the Ducks put points on the boards every time with 3 touchdowns and 2 field goals during the first two quarters.

By the end of the first half, Burch already had 2 tackles (both for loss) and 1 sack as Oregon held a 28-10 lead over UCLA. The Bruins' only touchdown came from a pick-six by former Duck Bryan Addison.

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