No. 13 Oregon took a brutal 17-15 loss to No. 22 UCLA at Autzen Stadium on Saturday, and it was rough. The Ducks played their first full game without star quarterback Dante Moore, who’s still recovering from a concussion, and what followed was truly ugly. This was arguably one of the worst offensive performances in coach Dan Lanning’s five seasons, culminating in former five-star QB Dylan Raiola getting benched after just three quarters.
Autzen’s Horror Show: Raiola’s Struggle Unfolds
Man, the energy in Autzen Stadium had to be toxic. The crowd of 59,262 was booing the home team after every single three-and-out. It was a complete reversal from Raiola’s last outing, where he came in for Moore against USC, showing “moxy and confidence” and leading the Ducks to a 41-27 victory. But Saturday? Forget it. Lanning summed it up: “Not a lot of bright spots.” Especially not at quarterback. Raiola simply struggled, leaving the field having thrown just three more completions than he did turnovers before third-stringer Brock Thomas had to step in. When Raiola finally got benched after throwing his second pick on Oregon’s final drive of the third quarter, the Ducks were down 10-6. Their offense had only managed 89 yards on 37 plays, and they were a dismal 0 for 8 on third downs. Ouch.
“Reckless with the Ball”: Lanning and Raiola Speak
The numbers from Raiola’s performance are just brutal: 6-of-19 passing for a measly 43 yards, two interceptions, and one fumble. His only contribution to the scoreboard came on a gift, when the defense recovered a fumble at the Bruins’ 1-yard line and Jordon Davison punched it in on the very next play. You can’t make this stuff up. Coach Lanning didn’t mince words after the game, talking about Raiola: “He wasn’t good enough today. I think he can acknowledge that. But we didn’t prepare him to be good enough today.” He even mentioned wanting to go find Raiola, knowing “everyone here, they’ll have a lot of things to say about his performance.” Raiola himself took responsibility, admitting, “I was reckless with the ball today and you can’t win football games like that. I thought we were prepared, I thought our coaches prepared us, and we lost.” It’s hard to hear, but it’s the truth.
Brock Thomas’s Late Surge: A Glimmer of Hope?
The silver lining, if you can even call it that, came from third-stringer Brock Thomas, a Eugene native and former walk-on from Sheldon High School. This kid stepped up when his name was called, and Lanning noticed, saying, “Brock showed up when his number was called.” Thomas led a late rally that, while ultimately falling short, did ignite the offense. In the fourth quarter alone, Oregon’s offense put up 183 yards and nine points, with Thomas completing 11 of 16 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown. Yeah, he also lost a fumble on a fourth-and-short at the UCLA 45, which stings, but what a turnaround from the earlier performance. It’s truly shocking that Raiola, the former five-star QB, couldn’t produce like this, and it leaves a lot of questions for the Ducks as they move forward.
This loss is a tough pill to swallow for No. 13 Oregon, especially with the offense looking so lost. With Dante Moore still sidelined, the spotlight will be burning hot on the quarterback situation. Can Raiola rebound, or did Brock Thomas show enough to earn more snaps? What happens next is anyone’s guess, but one thing’s for sure: Oregon needs to figure out this offense, and fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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