Oregon’s season has reached the point where every snap feels loaded, and Saturday night against Nebraska at Autzen Stadium is no exception. The Ducks need the win to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive for a third straight season, and after slipping to 3-2 with a 17-15 loss to the No. 12 UCLA Bruins, they’re outside the AP Top 25 for the first time since Dan Lanning’s first year in 2022.
They’ll also enter the game as seven-point favorites, according to the latest DraftKings Sportsbook betting odds, but the bigger issue is availability. Quarterback Dante Moore is expected to miss his second straight game with a concussion, leaving Oregon’s starting quarterback job open for Saturday’s matchup with the Cornhuskers. That puts the spotlight squarely on Raiola, with Brock Thomas also in the mix to start.
Raiola’s last outing was rough. Against UCLA, he went 6-of-19 for 43 yards and two interceptions before being replaced by Thomas, who finished with 156 yards and a touchdown on 11-of-15 passing. Still, Lanning continues to trust Raiola, and the former Nebraska quarterback owned the performance afterward.
“I got a younger brother, and he looks up to me, and I mean, this isn’t just football. This is life, and tough situations happen, and you gotta, you gotta own them,” Raiola said following the loss to UCLA.
“The product I put out there, I gotta live with that. So, I mean, I gotta own everything, take it on the chin and move forward.”
There’s a clear path for Raiola to flip the story: beat his former team and stabilize Oregon while Moore’s return remains uncertain. Raiola spent two seasons in Lincoln, piling up 4,819 passing yards with 31 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
Nebraska arrives in Eugene after nearly knocking off the No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers, and the Cornhuskers would love nothing more than to take down their former quarterback and move one step closer to bowl eligibility.
Oregon’s defense has its own job to do, and that starts with getting after Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea. He can damage teams both through the air and on the ground, which makes pressure the priority for the Ducks.
That part of Oregon’s defense has started to come alive lately. The Ducks had issues creating sacks early in the season, but over the last two games, the pass rush has taken real steps forward.
Linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei has been one of the main reasons why, and he pointed to the work behind the scenes when asked about the improvement.
“I think it’s just something that we emphasize in practice, finishing. Just being all around, more violent, more aggressive on D, especially as a front. And I mean, that’s all I can really say, just practice habits,” Uiagalelei said.
Uiagalelei also turned in a strong game against UCLA, finishing with seven total tackles and two sacks, and Oregon will need another disruptive performance from him Saturday night.
On offense, the Ducks may have to lean on a young receiver group. Jeremiah McClellan is expected to miss his fourth straight game, while Evan Stewart was upgraded to doubtful on Thursday’s Big Ten availability report. That puts true freshman Messiah Hampton in position to play a bigger role.
Hampton, a former four-star recruit from James Monroe High School in Rochester, New York, has already given Oregon plenty to like. He has 17 catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns, with his biggest game coming in the 84-0 win over Portland State on Sept. 18, when he posted 71 yards and two scores.
For Oregon, the formula is simple: get steadier quarterback play, keep Colandrea uncomfortable, and find production from Hampton if the receiver room remains short-handed. The Ducks and Cornhuskers kick off at 8 p.m. PT on FOX, and it will be the first meeting between the teams since 2017, when Oregon beat Nebraska 42-35 at Autzen Stadium.
In Other News...
Nebraska Just Got A Break Before Oregon But The Challenge Remains
Oregon is heading into its matchup with Nebraska a little thinner than expected, with quarterback Dante Moore ruled out and wide receiver Evan Stewart downgraded to doubtful. That changes the look of a game that already carried plenty of weight for Nebraska, which has spent the week preparing for one of the most difficult tests on its schedule and now gets a slightly different version of the Ducks than the one it may have been game-planning for.
Even with those personnel questions for Oregon, the challenge for Nebraska does not disappear. The Huskers still have to deal with a program that has the speed, depth and organization to make life difficult on either side of the ball, and the broader Nebraska sports picture keeps rolling too, with volleyball stretching its regular-season win streak to 49 matches in a sweep of Northwestern and basketball set to return with an exhibition against BYU featuring returning players Pryce Sandfort and Braden Frager. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Faces A Real Road Test As Oregon Prep Gets Complicated
Matt Rhule said Nebraska is spending the week not just on Oregon, but on the logistics that come with a late kickoff and a difficult road environment. The Cornhuskers have had to adjust their routine for the unusual start time while keeping the emphasis on football, and Rhule pointed to the kind of details that can decide a game away from home, including crowd noise and cleaner communication.
Jamir Conn has been ruled out, which opens the door for other Nebraska players to take on more leadership as the Huskers get ready for one of their tougher tests of the season. Oregons quarterback situation is still unsettled, adding another layer of preparation for Nebraska, but Rhules message has been straightforward: stay locked in, handle the noise, and be ready for whatever version of the Ducks shows up. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Has A Real Shot To End Its Ranked-Game Misery
Nebraska heads into the Oregon matchup with more reason for optimism than it usually carries into a ranked showdown. The Huskers know quarterback Dylan Raiola well enough to at least feel comfortable with the challenge, and they have some offensive answers of their own if Anthony Colandrea can help keep the offense moving and the rushing game does its part.
Oregons recent turnover issues give Nebraska a path to stay in the game, and maybe more than that if the Huskers can capitalize when opportunities arrive. The bigger backdrop is impossible to ignore: Nebraska has spent too long coming up short against ranked opponents, and this one offers a chance to finally change that story. [Read more 🡒]