An appearance in the Pac-12 championship game later this month is still possible for UCLA football, but that’s not the chief motivation for the Bruins. The day-to-day grind – especially after coach Chip Kelly counted 12 missed tackles and six dropped passes against Oregon on Saturday – is more pressing. Read more...

Photo: Redshirt senior defensive back Adarius Pickett leads UCLA football in tackling this season with 95 total tackles for an average of over 10 tackles per game. The team’s second-leading tackler is junior linebacker Krys Barnes, who currently owns 57 tackles on the year – 38 less than Pickett. (Axel Lopez/Assistant Photo editor)

The Bruins clinched their third straight sub-.500 season with a loss to the Ducks on Saturday. UCLA football’s (2-7, 2-4 Pac-12) year has been defined by inexperience and miscues, with a number of underclassmen getting a majority of the team’s reps; but against Oregon, the problem came from an unexpected source – the special teams unit. Read more...

Photo: Redshirt senior punter Stefan Flintoft is leading the Pac-12 in yards per punt, but he had one of his kicks returned for a touchdown Saturday. It was the first punt return touchdown scored against UCLA this season. (MacKenzie Coffman/Assistant Photo editor)

EUGENE, Ore.—Special teams mistakes defined the Bruins’ first half on Saturday night as they trail 21-7 heading into the locker room. After coming up with a defensive stop on UCLA’s (2-6, 2-3 Pac-12) opening drive, Oregon (5-3, 2-3) opened the scoring with a 56-yard punt return touchdown from defensive back Ugochukwu Amadi. Read more...

Photo: Redshirt junior running back Joshua Kelley ran for 84 yards on 11 carries in the first half Saturday night. UCLA is trailing Oregon 21-7 at halftime. (Axel Lopez/Assistant Photo editor)