Dylan Raiola’s roughest day in an Oregon uniform may have changed the whole shape of Nebraska’s next big matchup.
Before Saturday, the Oct. 17 meeting with Nebraska had the feel of a reunion waiting to happen. Raiola had started his first two games for the Ducks after leaving Lincoln, and with Dante Moore dealing with an ugly injury a few weeks earlier, it looked like Oregon might be preparing to face the quarterback it had leaned on for the last two seasons. Then came UCLA.
What happened against the Bruins was ugly from the jump. Raiola opened by completing his first three passes and helping Oregon build a 6-3 lead, but everything unraveled after that.
He missed his next seven throws and never found a rhythm in a game that turned into a defensive grind instead of the shootout many expected. By the end of the night, he had gone 6 of 19 for 43 yards with 2 interceptions and a strip-sack fumble, responsible for half of Oregon’s 6 turnovers.
The Ducks finally pulled him late in a 17-15 loss, and that benching makes a start against Nebraska far from guaranteed.
Brock Thomas may have changed the conversation in a hurry. He stepped in for Raiola and did enough to look like the likely option against Nebraska next week if Moore is not fully back from the concussion he suffered against USC. Thomas completed 11 of 15 passes for 156 yards and threw the touchdown that would have tied the game had Oregon converted either of its two two-point tries.
Those attempts came and went in frustrating fashion. On the first, Oregon tried to run Thomas in, but he was stopped short before UCLA was flagged for a facemask, giving the Ducks another shot. They then turned to Jordan Davison, and he was stuffed too.
Even so, Thomas’s relief appearance at least gave Oregon something it didn’t have with Raiola on Saturday: stability. Raiola looked off kilter all day, and Thomas nearly dragged the Ducks back to overtime. That leaves Nebraska with an awkward twist heading into the game.
If Raiola stays on the bench, the Huskers avoid the possibility of watching their former quarterback put on a show against them. But Thomas is also a senior who has spent all four years of his college career in Oregon’s system, building chemistry and learning the offense. Nebraska will know Raiola inside and out, too, which makes the chess match even more interesting.
There’s also the added edge of Raiola saying this offseason that his new team was obviously better than his old one. That alone could be enough to sharpen Nebraska’s defense, especially a Blackshirts unit that may already be eager to attack after a heartbreaking loss to the defending national champion.
Now, with Nebraska’s next game suddenly carrying a little more drama, the quarterback question has turned one grudge match into something even messier.
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