The Oregon football team just stumbled to a 17-15 loss against UCLA at Autzen Stadium, and if you watched that offensive performance, you know it was nothing short of an absolute disaster. Before a late surge from third-string quarterback Brock Thomas in the fourth quarter, the Ducks were staring down a cataclysmic statistical offensive failure. Seriously, their showing on offense can only be described as absolutely disastrous, especially after a promising game against USC just two weeks ago.
Turnovers, Turnovers, and More Turnovers
So, what in the world went wrong on Saturday? Pretty much everything, honestly. At one point in the fourth quarter, Oregon had less than 100 yards of total offense. Their longest drive, until the first drive of the fourth quarter, was only four plays. And that six-play drive in the fourth? It ended in a fumble anyway! The Ducks turned the ball over seven times, which is the most they’ve had in 20 seasons. You just aren’t going to win football games when you give the ball away that many times. It’s a fundamental breakdown.
Raiola’s Rough Night and the Ground Game Struggles
Backup quarterback Dylan Raiola, a junior and Nebraska transfer, came crashing back to earth in one of the worst performances of his career. Just two weeks after throwing for nearly 300 yards against USC, Raiola completed only 6 of his 19 pass attempts for a measly 43 yards. He also threw two interceptions, which were actually the first two interceptions thrown by an Oregon quarterback all season. But the damage didn’t stop with Raiola’s arm; he fumbled once too. Running back Jordon Davison mishandled a wildcat exchange and fumbled away a possession, and Evan Stewart also coughed up the ball fighting for extra yards. Even third-string quarterback Thomas fumbled a center exchange on a critical fourth-and-1. Seven turnovers, folks. Seven! Coach Dan Lanning didn’t pull any punches, saying, “It hasn’t been good enough this year. Running the ball, we haven’t been as effective this year. All of those things tie together. Your passing game complements your run game, your run game complements your pass game and your ability to protect the quarterback.” Oregon averaged a pathetic 2.7 yards per carry, totaling just 73 rushing yards. If you take out that lopsided win against Portland State, the Ducks are averaging only 105 rushing yards per game, which would put them near the very bottom of college football.
Offensive Line Woes Persist
Adding to the chaos is Oregon’s maligned offensive line, which has continued to be a revolving door of new players every single game. Outside of center Iapani Laloulu, all four guard and tackle positions saw constant rotation throughout the UCLA game. Players were moving all around, from the bench to different positions on different drives. It’s hard to find rhythm when you’ve got that kind of instability up front. Coach Lanning summed it up plainly: “Our players have to play better, we have to coach better.” This 17-15 loss to UCLA exposed some deep cracks for Oregon, leaving them at 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten. With the offense in this kind of disarray, the Ducks have got a lot to figure out fast, and coach Lanning knows it. The questions about this offense, from Raiola to the O-line, are only gonna get louder.
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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