Dan Lanning didn’t hide where he stands on Dylan Raiola after Oregon’s 17-15 loss to UCLA, even if the Ducks’ quarterback situation still isn’t settled.
Before Nebraska comes to Autzen Stadium on Saturday night, Oregon is sorting through a quarterback competition that could include Raiola and Eugene native Brock Thomas if Dante Moore is still unavailable while recovering from a concussion. Raiola’s path back to the job is open, but he still has to win it.
Lanning made that part clear with a blunt comparison.
"Football is like renting a house. It's not owning a house. You have to pay rent every week," Lanning said.
What stood out more, though, was how Lanning described Raiola after the quarterback was pulled against UCLA in front of a national TV audience and replaced by third-stringer Thomas. Raiola, who came to Oregon with 22 starts from two seasons at Nebraska, was 6 of 19 for 43 yards with two interceptions and a lost fumble against the Bruins.
“A lot of you never go through life where you’re on a stage in front of the whole world and you get replaced in front of the whole world. That’s really hard, man. I don’t know how most normal people would handle that situation,” Lanning said.
“I thought Dylan handled it with unbelievable grace in that moment and was really humble. There’s no way you’re not disappointed that you’re getting pulled from that moment, right? He handled that extremely well.”
The public backing matters because Oregon is coming off a game that put its quarterback play and coaching under a brighter spotlight. Lanning could have stopped at the turnovers and moved on to the next question. Instead, he spent a long stretch talking about the human side of being benched on that stage.
He also said the response inside the locker room and on the sideline looked more united than broken. That was significant on a night when the Ducks’ offense had plenty of reasons to splinter: receivers weren’t getting enough touches, the run game was stuck, and the quarterback change could have sent frustration everywhere.
Tight end Jamari Johnson had just one catch for 13 yards. Running backs Dierre Hill Jr. and Jordon Davison both finished under 50 rushing yards. Dakorien Moore caught four passes, but his playmaking ability suggested he should have been involved more often.
Still, Lanning said the sideline stayed constructive.
“I thought there was some unbelievable composure on our sideline for guys feeling like no matter what the situation looks, how dire it was, right? ... I saw guys that had great body language, they’re saying the right things on the sideline to improve it."
“Now the plan has to improve. The execution has to improve, but the mindset and the temperament of those players I thought was really outstanding from my perspective on the field and really outstanding from that moment on in the locker room," Lanning said.
He also said changes are coming in how the team operates, though he did not say publicly who those shifts would involve or what they would look like.
That leaves Oregon with very little time to clean things up before Nebraska arrives. The Cornhuskers are coming in after a 20-17 loss to No. 5 Indiana, so both teams are looking for a reset.
Raiola’s return to Nebraska was already going to draw attention. After UCLA, it also becomes a question of how he handles uncertainty around the next opportunity.
“It’s going to be weird...”-Oregon QB Dylan Raiola on seeing Nebraska across the field at Autzen.MORE 🔗 #GoDuckshttps://t.co/vkYTeMh6wn pic.twitter.com/pY51JaAYT5
Lanning said the matchup carries weight for Raiola, but he expects the quarterback to handle it the right way.
"This game means a lot. Of course, it’s going to be an emotional game for Dylan, being the place that he came from.
He’s going to do everything he can to make sure that our team’s in the best situation to have success this week and be prepared and play, you know, us play as well as we possibly can. I know he’ll do that because he’s a pro," Lanning said.
So Raiola’s next start is up in the air. Lanning’s support is not.
Oregon and Nebraska kick off at 8 p.m. PT on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Autzen Stadium.
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