Oregon and Nebraska both enter Saturday night’s Big Ten matchup in Eugene trying to shake off losses that hurt in the same cruel way: at home, against unbeaten opponents, with the finish just out of reach.
Oregon’s setback came in a 17-15 loss to then-No. 21 UCLA, when a last-second two-point try was stuffed and the Ducks slipped out of the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since early in the 2022 season. That was back at the start of Dan Lanning’s run in Eugene, and he has gone 51-10 since then.
Nebraska’s defeat was just as frustrating. The Cornhuskers fell 20-17 to defending national champion and then-No.
7 Indiana after giving away an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter. That loss extended Nebraska’s streak to 31 straight defeats against ranked opponents, including 10 in a row under fourth-year coach Matt Rhule.
The Ducks may get a lift from Dante Moore, who has been sidelined since suffering a concussion on Sept. 26 at Southern California. In four games, Moore has completed 69.7% of his passes for 926 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions.
Nebraska’s quarterback situation is also part of the picture. Dylan Raiola, who began his career at Nebraska before transferring in the offseason, started against UCLA but managed only 6 of 19 passing for 43 yards with two interceptions before being replaced by Brock Thomas.
“We're preparing for all three quarterbacks,” Rhule said. “I think of the next five opponents we'll face all had a backup quarterback in during the last game.”
Nebraska does have offensive playmakers producing. Anthony Colandrea has thrown 13 touchdown passes and run for three scores in six games, while Jamal Rule ranks second among FBS freshmen with 386 rushing yards. Rule had 53 yards against the Hoosiers after missing most of the previous two games because of injury.
Dan Lanning sees Colandrea as a difficult matchup.
“Their quarterback makes it work, he does an unbelievable job of creating plays with his feet,” Lanning said of Colandrea.
This is Nebraska’s third straight year playing on the West Coast, though it will be the first of those games to kick off at night. The opening whistle is set for 10 p.m. Central.
“I've never coached a game that late,” Rhule said.
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Big Ten Admission Gives UCLAs Oregon Win A Controversial Twist
UCLAs 17-15 win over Oregon in Eugene carried extra weight on its own, since it was the Bruins first victory there since 2004. But the game also ended with a rules wrinkle that left a sour edge to the Ducks first league loss in their new conference setting, because a key late two-point conversion try was handled incorrectly by the officials after a facemask penalty on UCLA.
The Big Ten later issued a statement acknowledging the officiating mistake and clarifying how the rule should have been applied. For Oregon, that confirmation did not change the result, but it did underline just how thin the margin was in a game that already had plenty of significance for both programs. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Suddenly Has A Nebraska Problem At The Worst Time
Nebraska is reaching the middle of its season with a real chance to play its way into bowl eligibility and maybe even top last years record, but the road gets a lot tighter from here. The upcoming stretch includes matchups with ranked Ohio State and Iowa, which already raises the degree of difficulty, and there is still some uncertainty around Oregons quarterback situation because of injury.
From Oregons perspective, that makes a looming Nebraska problem feel a lot more relevant than it did a few weeks ago. Nebraska has shown enough lately to suggest it can make teams work for everything, even as special teams issues continue to hang over the program, and the combination of recent performance and the schedule ahead could shape how much trouble that matchup presents down the line. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Lanning Sends Clear Message After Oregon's Offensive Letdown
The offensive frustration that followed Oregons loss to UCLA is already drawing a response from Dan Lanning. The Ducks coach signaled that changes are coming on that side of the ball, pointing to a need to get more production from the players who can tilt the field, including tight end Jamari Johnson and receiver Dakorien Moore.
Lannings message was less about a single bad night than about how the offense has been functioning. Turnovers and a limited number of plays helped stall the Ducks, and the coaching staff appears ready to adjust the way the ball is distributed as Oregon tries to avoid a repeat of the same kind of letdown. [Read more 🡒]