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The No. 13 Oregon Ducks (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) will have their defensive front tested when No. 21 UCLA (4-0, 2-0 Big Ten) marches one of the nation’s top rushing attacks into Autzen Stadium.
Oregon defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington’s answer was simple when asked about slowing the Bruins’ run game.
Sep 28, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive lineman A'Mauri Washington tackles UCLA Bruins running back T.J. Harden at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
“Buck up, ready up,” Washington told reporters on Tuesday at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex.
The senior returns from the Ducks’ bye, two weeks after posting his best statistical game of the season with five tackles (two solo) and a pass breakup.
Now he and the Oregon defense are tasked with shutting down star UCLA running back Wayne Knight, who ranks No. 24 nationally with 445 rushing yards, despite 14 fewer carries than anyone else in the top 25.
“I ain’t gonna lie, this dude’s got some juice,” Washington said of Knight. “I think he’s an NFL running back in my opinion.”
Here’s what Washington had to say when it came to his teammates, game prep and shutting down a UCLA team that’s averaging 281.5 rushing yards per game.
Prepping For the Bruins’ Run Game
Aug. 31, 2024; Eugene, Oregon; Oregon Ducks defensive lineman A'Mauri Washington lines up against the Idaho Vandals Saturday at Autzen Stadium, | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
“I mean, I respect all, respect all, for real, man. Whoever we’ve got on the clock, it don’t matter. 200? 300 rushing yards? We still got the game plan to stop the run so we can earn the right to rush the passer. We don’t stop the run, those dudes will continue to run the ball on us. But that’s definitely one of the main executions for us.”
“Every week is really a step up, though. But just normal, when you got a great back coming in here, it’s just one of those things, like, this is what we came here for. Buck up, ready up, you know what I mean? Strike, play the run, eyes on your gap. Real disciplined football is the only thing that’s gonna get us there.”
Respecting No. 3’s Explosiveness
Sep 12, 2026; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA running back Wayne Knight celebrates a touchdown against San Diego State at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“We seen them last year. No. 3?” Washington said of Knight. “I ain’t gonna lie, this dude’s got some juice, though, man. It makes it a little bit difficult with how low they be to the ground. You gotta really get low on these dudes. If you go high and arm tackle, it’s not going to work, especially versus a guy like that. I think he’s an NFL running back, in my opinion.”
“I look at a lot of the run plays that they like to do. I feel like in that last fourth quarter, I know everybody is talking about how many yards they ran up. I feel like that was one of the emphases. No. 3 was able to break free on, like, third and short. It’s plays like that, even in the fourth quarter, where we’re like we got to stay on it. These dudes just creep up on you at any time. You gotta be able to keep your foot on the gas.”
The Work Not Shown on the Stat Sheet
Nov 18, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive lineman A'Mauri Washington against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
“I’d probably say some pressures or something that come up, some things that just be like whether we was in the right gap, bare minimum movement on double teams. It be like the small stuff that they don’t grade you for on the stat sheet that I feel is very critical. Just little movement in run plays that allows the backers to free up, make plays and stuff like that, just so we can eliminate the run game. But that’s still one of the emphases, though.”
Growth of DL's Aydin Breland & Matthew Johnson
Sept. 18, 2026; Eugene, Oregon; Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Aydin Breland sacks Portland State quarterback Gabe Downing at Autzen Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
“Just seeing them grow from Year 1 to Year 2 for Matt, I think it was a huge step up for him. Seeing AB, the way they attack practice, you can kind of see how it’s gonna translate to the game. But I think these dudes are still growing. All of us, though, still growing. But I’m still real proud of those dudes.”
On QB Dante Moore Back at Practice
Sept. 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore during warmups before facing the USC Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
“That dude, he out there working already. I tried to get a sack on him earlier, man. This dude is back, man. This dude is back.”
Shared History with Dylan Raiola at Chandler High School
Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dylan Raiola looks to throw a pass against the USC Trojans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“We we was there, he used to tell me how much he liked Oregon.He was committed to Georgia, then he committed to Ohio State, but he used to tell me about how he still wanted to go to Oregon. Oregon always ended up having a good quarterback. He still managed to come here, like, it was crazy. We still talk about what it was like in high school and the days we did play with each other.”
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