Oregon’s quarterback situation just got a lot messier.
Dan Lanning pulled Dylan Raiola in the fourth quarter of the No. 13 Ducks’ 17-15 loss to No.
21 UCLA, turning to Brock Thomas with Oregon trailing 17-9 and searching for any kind of spark. It never really came.
The Ducks dropped the game on Saturday, and the move only added fuel to the growing questions around who should be running the offense.
The opening was there because Dante Moore was unavailable after suffering a concussion against USC. That forced Oregon to lean on Raiola, a transfer from Nebraska, coming out of the bye week. Instead of steadying things, Raiola’s night unraveled fast.
He finished 6-of-19 for 43 yards with two interceptions and also lost a fumble. Oregon’s turnover trouble didn’t stop there. Evan Stewart and Jordon Davison each coughed it up as well, and the Ducks piled up six turnovers overall against the Bruins.
Lanning’s switch to Thomas was an attempt to stop the bleeding after an offense that had already fallen well short of what Oregon needed. But Thomas couldn’t settle things down either. On his first drive, he fumbled the snap from center lapani Laloulu on fourth down, and another possession disappeared.
That makes Raiola’s falloff even more glaring because he had looked sharp against USC. In that game, he went 19-of-25 for 289 yards and two touchdowns in a performance that helped Oregon to an important win. Against UCLA, the contrast was stark.
Now Oregon heads toward Saturday, October 17, against Nebraska with more uncertainty than answers. Moore’s return remains unclear, and Lanning has to sort through the options: go back to Raiola, stick with Thomas, or find another path.
The bigger issue, though, is bigger than one quarterback. Six turnovers and an offense that couldn’t stay on the field exposed real problems for Oregon. How Lanning handles them will go a long way toward showing whether the Ducks can bounce back or keep inviting doubt about where this season is headed.
In Other News...
Oregon's Quarterback Crisis Just Got Harder To Ignore
Oregons quarterback situation was already under a bright enough spotlight with Dante Moore sidelined by a concussion, and the fourth quarter against UCLA only sharpened the concerns. After Dylan Raiola struggled with turnovers, Dan Lanning turned to Brock Thomas, a move that underscored how little margin the Ducks had as the offense searched for a rhythm. Even with a touchdown and a field goal on the board, the Ducks were still chasing the game late.
The trouble was not just the score, but the way the offense kept putting itself in difficult spots. Multiple turnovers and other offensive issues left Oregon trailing 17-9 entering the fourth quarter, and the shuffle under center made the depth chart feel unsettled at a moment when stability mattered most. For a team built to compete at the top of the conference, the quarterback conversation is suddenly becoming impossible to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Win Now Comes With A Big Ten Question For Bear Alexander
Oregons win over UCLA is already producing a bigger aftershock than the final score, because a viral clip from the game has put defensive tackle Bear Alexander in the middle of a possible Big Ten review. The video appears to show Alexander striking Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava during a tackle, and Iamaleava later left with a lower body injury, leaving the play under fresh scrutiny as the conference weighs its next step.
The Big Ten has a sportsmanship policy that can allow for discipline in cases like this, and Oregon is waiting to see whether the league decides to act. The situation also lands in a sensitive spot for Dan Lanning, who recently condemned a similar incident involving another player, making the conferences response to Alexanders case the next development that could shape how the aftermath of the game is remembered. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Heads To Nebraska With A Quarterback Problem And Bigger Questions
The late push from Brock Thomas gave Oregon something to hang onto after a 17-15 loss to No. 21 UCLA, but it also left the Ducks with a familiar kind of uncertainty as they head to Nebraska. Thomas stepped in for starter Dylan Raiola in the fourth quarter and helped lead scoring drives, yet the bigger picture was hard to ignore: turnovers, penalties and offensive line problems kept the offense from ever finding a steady rhythm, even as the defense did enough to keep the game within reach.
Now the attention shifts to the quarterback picture, and it is not getting any clearer. Oregon could also be waiting on the possible return of Dante Moore from injury, which only adds another layer to a situation already made messy by the loss to UCLA. The Ducks leave with a hard-earned defensive performance to build on, but with the offense still searching for answers, the trip to Nebraska feels like a test of both depth and direction. [Read more 🡒]