UCLA Finds Itself in a Difficult Spot : Bruins: Oregon has plenty of incentives, including Musgrave’s last home game.

It could be the best of times for Oregon, but it’s simply bad timing for UCLA.

The Ducks have several motivating factors in today’s game against the Bruins, such as:

--Oregon, 6-2 overall and 2-2 in the Pacific 10 Conference, is striving to get a bowl bid for the second consecutive year, an unprecedented accomplishment here.

--Bill Musgrave, Oregon’s senior quarterback, will be playing his last game at home. Moreover, Musgrave has an 18-1 record in home games that he has started and finished in his career. Included is a 6-0 mark this season.

--Oregon is mindful that UCLA has a 7-0 record here since Autzen Stadium was built in 1967, and Terry Donahue has contributed five of those victories since he became UCLA’s coach in 1976.

--UCLA hasn’t won consecutive games this season and, at 4-4 overall and 3-2 in the Pac-10, is struggling to finish with a winning record.

The odds are against it. After Oregon, the Bruins will play conference leader Washington in Seattle before finishing against USC at the Rose Bowl.

So, UCLA faces the prospect of successive losing seasons for the first time since the mid-1960s.

“We’ve got to get to a new level of intensity for us to survive in our next three games,” Donahue said. “but we’re capable of playing well and winning.”

With the exception of the first half of a 38-31 loss to California Oct. 20, Donahue hasn’t faulted the effort of his players.

The Bruins were 3-7-1 last season, and some of the players now admit that they expected to lose. An example would be last year’s game against the Ducks at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins led, 20-14, at halftime, only to lose, 38-20.

Oregon has started quickly before, but injuries and a lack of depth have usually prevented the Ducks from finishing in the upper echelon of the conference.

It’s a different scenario this season. Oregon has lost some quality players because of injuries--such as wide receivers Tony Hargain and Michael McClellan, fullback Brandon Jumper and cornerback Muhammad Oliver--but, through recruiting, has reserve strength.

The Ducks are apparently a team without a glaring weakness. There’s Musgrave, who is rewriting the Oregon record book with every pass he throws; redshirt freshman tailback Sean Burwell from Cleveland High in the San Fernando Valley, who is averaging 89 yards rushing while scoring eight touchdowns, and a solid defense led by linemen Matt LaBounty and Marcus Woods and and linebacker Peter Brantley.

The secondary has contributed 14 interceptions, second-highest total in the Pac-10.

Asked to assess his team, Oregon Coach Rich Brooks, in his 14th season, said: “I think we had a good team last year as well (with an 8-4 record). We’ve had more good fortune this year, such as a punt return and an interception for touchdowns.

“It has a chance to be our best team, but the next three games will determine that. This is a big game for us.”

A near-capacity crowd is expected today in the 41,678-seat stadium, and Donahue said the noise might disturb his team.

The fans will watch Musgrave end a four-year career that has sometimes been marred by injuries. “I’m trying not to think about it, so I won’t jinx myself,” he said. “We have to concentrate on UCLA, which has a great secondary.”

Musgrave, who is averaging 245.7 passing yards while throwing 13 touchdowns, intends to test it.

Bruin Notes

Mike Chalenski and backup linebacker Randy Cole didn’t make the trip. Chalenski has a dislocated shoulder that will require surgery when the season ends. Cole’s brother was killed in a car accident recently and he is with his family in Arkansas. . . . Outside linebacker Arnold Ale, who has been inactive with an ankle injury, is expected to play. So is fullback Kevin Smith, who suffered a groin injury Tuesday in practice.

Six bowl scouts are expected to attend today’s game. The Ducks’ first bowl choice is reportedly the Aloha in Honolulu. . . . If Oregon finishes 9-2, it will be its best record since a Norm Van Brocklin-led team went 9-2 in 1948 on its way to the Cotton Bowl.

The Bruins haven’t lost to Oregon in consecutive seasons since 1933-34. . . . UCLA is a 10 1/2-point underdog, believed to be the largest margin favoring Oregon in the series that began in 1928.