Dylan Raiola’s chance at a revenge game against Nebraska has vanished.
After taking over for Dante Moore when Moore suffered a brutal knockout against USC a couple of weeks ago, Raiola stepped in and gave Oregon a huge lift. He guided the Ducks to a 41-27 win over the Trojans, completing 19 of 25 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns. For a moment, it looked like his hold on the job might be secure.
Then came UCLA.
Oregon’s 17-15 loss last week changed everything, and Raiola’s numbers told the story: 6 of 19 for 43 yards and two interceptions. Brock Thomas entered during that game, and now the move is staying put. Raiola had hoped to line up against Nebraska, the school he spent two seasons with, but he will not get that shot with the starting job.
Dan Lanning said Friday that Thomas will get the nod again on Saturday, and he pointed to both the game itself and what happened in practice this week. “(Saturday’s performance) all plays into effect, and the body of work this week all plays into effect.
The question was asked of me why not make the change sooner after the game; I think that’s fair. On the same note, I think some of the positions we put [Raiola] in weren’t successful opportunities as well,” Lanning said.
“I think we made some adjustments in getting the ball out a little quicker, creating some more open pictures that allowed Brock to do that. “But you have to be able to protect the ball, that’s a part of it, and like I said after the game, Dylan’s also a guy that played really well against USC and you have to be aware of that too.”
What had been framed as a revenge game for Raiola has now turned into a sideline story. At least as a starter, he won’t face the Cornhuskers in front of the team he once called home.
In Other News...
Oregon Commit Brayton Feister Is Back On The Field Amid Dispute
Brayton Feister is back on the field at Massillon Washington High School after the Fifth District Court of Appeals ruled that he and his brother Brydon are eligible to play, overturning the Ohio High School Athletic Associations earlier ineligibility decision. The brothers had been sidelined over transfer and disciplinary issues, but the latest ruling granted them a preliminary permanent injunction and cleared the way for them to continue their senior season.
For Oregon, it means one of its commitments is once again taking part in the kind of late-season football that can matter in more than one way, from development to momentum before the next level. The OHSAA still has the option to keep fighting the case, so the legal side of the story is not necessarily finished, but for now Feister is back where he wants to be, and that is on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Heads Home With One Big Problem Against Nebraska
Oregon heads into its Week 7 home game against Nebraska trying to regroup after a 17-15 loss to UCLA pushed the Ducks out of the rankings. The trip back to Autzen Stadium brings a familiar sort of pressure, with a favored team expected to rebound quickly and get its season pointed back in the right direction.
The bigger issue, though, is still unsettled at quarterback. Oregon has multiple players competing for the job and has not named a starter, leaving the Ducks to sort out the most important spot on the field before a nationally televised matchup on Fox and the Fox Sports app. Against a Nebraska team coming in with a chance to test Oregon early, the Ducks will be looking for answers as much as a win. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Rise Has Made This Big Ten Clash Feel Very Different
Curt Cignetti has turned Indiana into something no one around the Big Ten can dismiss anymore. After years of being an easy name to circle on the schedule, the Hoosiers are now coming into the Ohio State matchup undefeated and carrying the kind of rsum that only comes with sustained success, including a conference title and a national championship under Cignettis watch.
The setting for this one feels familiar in one sense and completely different in another. Ohio State and Indiana are meeting as top-five teams for the third straight year, but the old assumptions no longer fit, and even around the program there are differing views on how much last years Big Ten Championship Game should shape the way this rematch is seen. [Read more 🡒]