The Oregon Ducks are once again reeling from an ugly loss, and now head coach Dan Lanning is hinting at some big-time changes that could reshape their season. Forget national championship hopes; those are pretty much out the window. Now it’s about salvaging this thing, and it all starts with their quarterback situation, which is a full-blown crisis right now.
Who’s Under Center? Nobody Knows.
Dylan Raiola totally crumbled in his first start, forcing Brock Thomas to come in during the fourth quarter against UCLA and almost pull off a miracle comeback. Almost. Now, after coming up short, the Ducks are doing a full-on evaluation this week. It’s wild: Oregon could be looking at a third different starting quarterback in just as many games. Raiola could get another shot, but it’d be an emotional one, facing his former team. Thomas might be in line for his first start with the Ducks, but everyone’s eyes are still on Dante Moore, who’s recovering from a concussion. Lanning’s talking about the “state of the quarterback room,” and honestly, it sounds like chaos.
Lanning Calls It Like He Sees It, Nebraska Looms Large
Lanning didn’t mince words after that UCLA game. He said their performance “wasn’t good enough in a lot of facets.” He knows they messed up, admitting there were “plenty of things we didn’t do right.” The Ducks are evaluating “everything there” to get better, saying they need to be better because Nebraska is coming to town, and they’re no joke. The Cornhuskers nearly took down Indiana last week. Their quarterback, Anthony Colandrea, is a dynamic threat who creates plays with his feet. Nebraska runs a big-play offense that will absolutely test Oregon’s unit. Defensively, they’re aggressive, great at tackling, and they do not give up long runs. Lanning said you watch their “explosive run cut up, and there’s like five plays,” which tells you everything. Plus, their special teams are legit; they have “probably one of the best returners we’ve seen this year.” And if the QB drama wasn’t enough, Lanning also opened up on a “potential change in the play-calling,” which tells you how much he’s ready to shake things up.
So, here we are. The Ducks are facing a really talented Nebraska group at home, likely with a great crowd for a night game, and they still don’t know who their quarterback is going to be. They gotta figure this out ASAP if they want to turn this season around.
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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