Oregon’s win over Nebraska turned into a study in patience, self-inflicted mistakes, and a fourth-quarter rescue job.
With the Ducks’ last snap of the first half ending in a kneel-down and Nebraska’s final series reduced to desperation time, the game came down to 13 meaningful offensive possessions for each side. Oregon spent most of that stretch playing it safe: protect the ball, keep everything in front, and trust Nebraska to blink first. That approach nearly worked exactly as drawn up, but a fumble and an interception left the Ducks behind in the fourth quarter despite what was otherwise a sharp defensive showing.
The turnaround came late, and it came the hard way. Oregon strung together two long scoring drives by leaning on efficient rushing and timely throws from QB #8 Raiola. Those final two possessions stood in stark contrast to the first 11 Oregon drives with QB #12 Brock Thomas at quarterback, enough of a difference that the numbers had to be separated.
The passing game never really chased big shots, even after Raiola entered. Most of the offense stayed underneath, focused on short completions that kept the chains moving.
That was largely by design, though there were also a few moments where a downfield throw was available and Raiola instead checked down or took off. The absence of WR #3 Jeremiah McClellan, who is still recovering from a broken foot, and WR #7 Evan Stewart, who was listed as doubtful on Friday and did not appear, matters here.
What really changed the game late was Oregon’s run game. The Ducks found room on their final two drives, and that surge looked like a mix of Raiola’s clutch conversions, Nebraska’s tiring defense, and the fact that the Cornhuskers don’t rotate much.
Raiola kept possessions alive with key 3rd- and 4th-down completions, while Oregon also converted two 4th-and-short situations on the ground. By the end, Nebraska’s defense had been on the field long enough to wear down.
There was also a curious wrinkle to those late drives: Nebraska seemed to treat Raiola like a run threat, even though Oregon has not put that on film this season. He never actually kept the ball on a read, but the Huskers appeared to react as if he might.
Up front, Oregon kept moving pieces around again. OL #72 “Poncho” Laloulu remained the lone constant at center.
The tackles lined up as they had at the end of the UCLA game, with OL #59 Fox Crader at left tackle and OL #58 Gernorris Wilson at right tackle, matching their 2025 spots. At guard, the veteran setup changed, with former LT #58 Ziyare Addsion moving to left guard and OL #55 Douglas Utu at right guard.
After the first drive of the third quarter, Addison was replaced by true freshman #77 Tommy Tofi, and the yards per rush improved noticeably once Tofi entered.
That late success in the run game is the one encouraging piece from an offense that still raises questions. The bigger issue remains the same: Oregon’s offensive staff has not consistently shown an ability to identify what will work once the game starts. For now, the Ducks have to survive with a plan that asks them to win despite the offense, not because of it.
On the other side, Nebraska’s offense looked almost exactly like it was expected to. Oregon’s defense was prepared for the Huskers’ tendencies and made stopping QB #10 Colandrea with his legs a priority. The few explosive plays Nebraska managed either came from mistakes by the Ducks or from Colandrea simply beating coverage with a strong play.
Oregon also held Nebraska to one touchdown in two sudden-change situations. The Cornhuskers’ only full-field scoring drive came with help from a roughing-the-passer penalty that may have been questionable.
The secondary continued to shuffle as well. DB #12 Peyton Woodyard and DB #22 Devin Jackson kept rotating in for boundary safety DB #21 Aaron Flowers, who is out for the season.
Former number one corner DB #4 Brandon Finney spent most of his time at nickel, though he did show up outside a few times. When he was outside, or when he needed a breather, true freshman DB #5 Davon Benjamin handled the role.
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