Dylan Raiola’s rise has become the immediate storyline in Eugene, and Oregon coach Dan Lanning says the Ducks have handled the quarterback switch with the kind of steadiness that’s been there all along.
With Dante Moore out after suffering a concussion in Oregon’s 41-27 win over USC on Sept. 26, Raiola is lined up to make the start Saturday against No.
21 UCLA. That development comes after the former Nebraska Cornhuskers signal caller stepped in against the Trojans and delivered one of the biggest performances of Oregon’s season, throwing for 289 yards and two touchdowns on 19-of-25 passing.
Lanning said Wednesday that Raiola’s play on that stage didn’t exactly come out of nowhere inside the program.
“Yeah, I mean, you might not enjoy this, but it's been business as usual in a lot of ways, right? He had an exception when he stepped out there on the field and performed at a really high level, and everybody had confidence in him because they see him do it a lot in practice. You got a lot of reps in practice, regardless of where you’re sitting,” Lanning said.
The Oregon coach added that Raiola’s performance fit the way the Ducks have been pushing each other throughout the season.
“So very similar in that situation for him is he went out there and executed, and now everybody expects every one of the guys on the team to continue to grow and continue to improve and take advantage of opportunities when they get him,” Lanning continued.
Moore’s return to practice on Monday was a positive step after he entered concussion protocol, but Lanning has been careful not to rush him back. That caution has been part of the message as Oregon prepares to move forward without its usual starter.
The Ducks get UCLA at Autzen Stadium on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PT on CBS, with another ranked win sitting in front of them. Oregon is an 11.5-point favorite, and the over/under is 58.5 points, according to current DraftKings Sportsbook odds.
But this is not the sort of game the Ducks can coast through. UCLA is unbeaten at 4-0 under first-year coach Bob Chesney, with double-digit wins over California, San Diego State, Purdue and Maryland. The Bruins’ roster has been transformed in Chesney’s first season, and they’ve already shown they can pile up comfortable victories.
Still, there are openings in UCLA’s defense that Oregon will be looking to attack. The Bruins are giving up 20.5 points per game against Big Ten opponents this season, and 38 of the 41 points they’ve allowed in those games came in the 52-38 win over Purdue on Sept. 19 at the Rose Bowl.
Oregon’s own defense has had its shaky moments in the biggest games, allowing an average of 31 points per game against No. 23 Boise State, No.
18 Oklahoma State and No. 19 USC.
If Saturday turns into a track meet, the Ducks may need timely stops to get it done.
One of the biggest keys will be making quarterback Nico Iamaleava beat them. If Oregon can slow him down, the Ducks would secure their sixth straight win in the series with UCLA.
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Dylan Raiola Just Showed Why Oregons QB Battle Feels Different
Dylan Raiolas arrival at Oregon has added another layer to a quarterback room that already feels unusually connected, and he made that clear this week while talking about teammate Dante Moores recent injury. Raiola said the relationship between the two goes well beyond football, a reflection of the kind of support system Oregon has tried to build under Dan Lanning, where the focus is not just on competition but on the way players handle one another through it.
For a quarterback battle, that kind of tone matters. Lanning has pointed to a culture built on connection, growth, toughness and sacrifice, and the Ducks QBs seem to be living it out in real time. Raiolas comments offered a window into a room where the stakes are obvious, but the atmosphere remains collaborative enough that one players setback does not change the respect around him. [Read more 🡒]