Dan Lanning isn’t hiding what Oregon needs most from its quarterback room with the season entering its final stretch: steadiness.
The Ducks have spent the last four games cycling through three different quarterbacks, including walk-on senior Brock Thomas, and the situation changed again after news broke Oct. 26 that senior Dante Moore would sit out the rest of the 2026 season. Lanning still has not announced a starter for the remainder of the year, though junior Dylan Raiola got the call in Oregon’s loss to Illinois.
On Oct. 27, Lanning was asked what he wants to see from the position with five regular-season games left and a possible bowl game still ahead. His answer came quickly.
"Consistency," Lanning quickly said to the media. "And again, we've got to be able to make sure that we can help create consistency with play calls.
We've been a really good quarterback room off the bench. We haven't been a very good quarterback room consistently at the start of games.”
That search for rhythm now comes with a new voice calling the offense. Drew Mehringer was let go from his offensive coordinator role on Oct. 25, and assistant quarterbacks coach Jay Johnson has taken over as the interim play-caller. Lanning said he wants Johnson to help the Ducks put together four full quarters of stable play under center.
“In the last game again, we did start off really well. It just didn't finish well.
I think again we have to find the rhythm. We need competition at that position, as well as other positions on the field.”
"There's so much external pressure on that position specifically because everything on offense runs through there," Lanning continued.
Oregon now turns to a difficult matchup at Autzen Stadium, where former Ducks head coach and current Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly brings the No. 20 Wildcats to Eugene on Saturday, Oct.
- The game is set for 12:30 p.m.
PT on Peacock.
Kelly’s first season at Northwestern has gone well on the scoreboard. The Wildcats are averaging 34.7 points per game, third-best in the Big Ten, and their offense has leaned heavily on the run game.
Northwestern is averaging 204.6 rushing yards per contest, second in the conference behind No. 7 UCLA’s 233.0.
Redshirt junior running back Caleb Komolafe has been the backbone of that ground attack, piling up 551 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 88 carries.
And when the Wildcats get into scoring position, senior quarterback Aidan Chiles can add another layer. He leads Northwestern in rushing touchdowns with nine. Chiles has taken a winding path through college football, spending one season with Oregon State in 2023 and two with Michigan State from 2024-25.
After Northwestern, Oregon heads to Columbus to face the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on Nov. 7.
In Other News...
Ohio State Just Got A New Warning About USC Trip
USCs latest trip into Big Ten country offered Ohio State a useful reminder of what can happen when the Trojans get pushed off script. In a loss to Wisconsin, Lincoln Rileys offense was held to seven points and 241 total yards, its lowest output under his watch, after the Badgers crowded the run game and kept pressure on quarterback Jayden Maiava. For a Buckeyes defense that will soon see USC in person, that kind of tape is worth a long look.
The bigger takeaway is not just that Wisconsin found a way to slow the Trojans, but how it did it. By forcing USC to play from behind the chains and make Maiava work under duress, the Badgers exposed a path other defenses may try to copy, and Ohio State is likely paying attention. The Buckeyes still have to do their own work on the game plan, but USCs stumble has already given them a clearer picture of where the pressure points might be. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Heads To USC With Two Defensive Questions Lingering
Ohio State left its win over Indiana with more than a victory to sort through, as the Buckeyes now have a few injury concerns hanging over the trip to USC. Ryan Day said the status of defenders Jay Timmons and Kenyatta Jackson remains unclear, and the timing is less than ideal with a Big Ten road game looming and the team trying to keep its focus on the next opponent.
The Buckeyes are still navigating the fallout from a physical Saturday, including the likely season-ending injury to Julian Sayin, so the defensive picture adds another layer of uncertainty. Even with the schedule moving forward, Ohio States attention is now split between preparing for USC and waiting to see which pieces of its defense will actually be available once the game gets here. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Heads Into USC With Key Availability Still Unsettled
Ohio States first injury report for the USC game offered an early look at a roster that is still taking shape as the Buckeyes prepare for one of their biggest tests of the season. The list included quarterback Julian Sayin as out indefinitely, along with safety Leroy Roker and running back Ja'Kobi Jackson, while a handful of other players were tagged with more uncertain designations as the week opened.
Jay Timmons and Brandon Inniss were among the names listed as questionable, leaving Ryan Day and his staff with a few important decisions to sort through before kickoff. The Buckeyes have some clarity at certain spots, but with practice status still being monitored and availability not fully settled, there is still real intrigue around how much depth Ohio State will have when it gets to USC. [Read more 🡒]