For the second Saturday in a row, UCLA football will take on a Pac-2 team.

Coach Chip Kelly and the Bruins are in Corvallis, Oregon, for the first time since 2015 for a Pac-12 game against the Oregon State Beavers.

It’s likely the last time the programs play against one another for the foreseeable future. Oregon State and Washington State are the final Pac-12 teams dealing with uncertainty. The programs have been left behind after Utah joined three other teams and headed to the Big 12 and Cal and Stanford announced they were headed for the Atlantic Coast Conference.

UCLA (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12), one of four teams destined for the Big Ten Conference, is coming off a 25-17 victory over then-No. 13 Washington State.

“Those are two outstanding programs and we get to play them back-to-back,” Kelly said after the win last week. “You saw what they were like today and we know what it’s going to be like when we go to Corvallis.”

UCLA and USC were the first two programs to depart from the Pac-12, announcing they were leaving for the Big Ten on June 30, 2022. They were later joined by Washington and Oregon, who announced their departure Aug. 4.

All four schools are expected to join the Big Ten for the start of the 2024 season, but the Cougars and Beavers have seemingly few options.

“I think it’s a travesty that Washington State’s not in a conference,” Kelly said. “That to me is a joke. That’s a really good football team and a school that’s had a bunch of tradition and it’s the same thing with Oregon State. … People should figure it out. There are a lot of smart people in college athletics, but if we let those two schools not end up in a Power Five conference, then shame on us.”

Kelly is familiar with Oregon State, having coached at archrival Oregon from 2009-12. He is 4-1 all-time against the Beavers, his only loss coming in 2019.

When UCLA has the ball

Quarterback Dante Moore must protect the football and make good decisions against the Beavers’ defense. The offense struggled in its last conference road game against Utah.

The Beavers (5-1, 2-1) will look to confuse the true freshman with disguised blitzes and coverages to help create turnovers and limit explosive plays. Oregon State will also look to create pressure against UCLA’s offensive line, which has struggled to pick up blitzes. Moore has been sacked 14 times this season, including seven at Utah.

Moore relied on his tight ends against Washington State last week. Oregon transfer Moliki Matavao had three catches for 76 yards. Carsen Ryan has also been a reliable option this season with seven catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns.

Kelly can help relieve some pressure for his young quarterback by getting the backfield involved early and often again. Carries had been evenly distributed between TJ Harden and Carson Steele, but that changed last week. Steele had 30 carries for 141 yards. Harden had 11 carries for 22 yards. Keegan Jones added three carries for 45 yards and scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

The Beavers did allow a season-high 40 points last week against Cal, as well as 38 points against Cam Ward and the Cougars earlier this season. Both those games, however, were on the road.

At home, Oregon State has yet to give up more than 17 points, including a 21-7 victory over then-No. 10 Utah on Sept. 29, and is riding a seven-game winning streak dating to last season.

When Oregon State has the ball

UCLA’s defense is coming off another strong defensive outing while catching the eye of national college football pundits.

The Bruins’ secondary held its own against the nation’s second-ranked passing attack last week but will face another tough test this week against St. John Bosco High grad DJ Uiagalelei. The Clemson transfer is coming off his best game as a Beaver, having completed 19 of 25 passes for 275 yards and five touchdowns against Cal.

Tight end Jack Velling caught three of Uiagalelei’s touchdown passes. Wide receiver Anthony Gould had seven catches for 117 yards.

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The offensive line is the strength of the Oregon State offense, having allowed just six sacks this season. The Beavers must establish the run game with Damien Martinez and try to control the line of scrimmage.

That won’t be an easy feat as edge rusher Laiatu Latu and the Bruins have found success stopping the run and the stats don’t lie. They lead the country allowing just 1.89 yards per rush and rank second with 64.6 rushing yards allowed per game.

No. 18  UCLA (4-1 overall, 1-1 Pac-12) at No. 15 Oregon State (5-1, 2-1)

When: 5 p.m. Saturday

Where: Reser Stadium, Corvallis, Oregon

TV/radio: FOX (Ch. 11) / 570 AM