Oregon pulled off a dramatic 17-14 comeback victory over Nebraska on Saturday night, with former Huskers quarterback Dylan Raiola delivering the decisive play against his old team.
The Ducks trailed 14-6 entering the fourth quarter before Raiola came off the bench and helped turn the game around.
After cutting Nebraska's lead to 14-9 with a field goal, Raiola led a 20-play, 82-yard drive in the closing minutes. And with just 28 seconds left on the clock, he connected with tight end Jamari Johnson for a four-yard touchdown. A successful two-point conversion gave the Ducks a 3-point lead, which they held on to secure the win.
The win was crucial for Oregon, who entered the game coming off a frustrating loss to UCLA. The Ducks improved to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten play, while Nebraska dropped to 5-2 after suffering a second straight loss following last week's collapse against Indiana.
Speaking on the field after the win, Raiola addressed what it was like facing and beating his former team. "I love Nebraska. That's my home. My first two years were home. I love the fans, I love everybody there. But it was about Oregon tonight. We went out there and did what we needed to do," Raiola said. "I didn't draw it up like that, but God has a perfect plan."
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Raiola spent his first two college football seasons at Nebraska, becoming the Huskers' starting quarterback as a true freshman in 2024. He threw for 2,819 yards and 13 touchdowns that season, setting the program record for passing yards by a freshman. He followed that with 2,000 yards and 18 touchdowns in nine games in 2025 before a season-ending injury against USC. After the season, he transferred to Oregon and entered the 2026 campaign as the backup to Dante Moore.
Saturday's win was particularly sweet for Raiola, who had been benched during Oregon's loss to UCLA last week. His game-winning drive gave the Ducks some much-needed momentum, which they'll need heading into the back half of the season with Moore still recovering from his concussion.
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At 4-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play, Oregon still has a chance to make the College Football Playoff, but they can't afford any more losses. Next, they travel to Illinois before hosting Northwestern and going to Ohio State. They'll close the season out against Michigan, at Michigan State, and against Washington.
Nebraska, meanwhile, will need to find some way to stabilize things after two brutal losses in back-to-back weeks. They next face Washington before games at Illinois and Rutgers, closing things out against Ohio State and Iowa. A brutal stretch of games for another team that can't afford any more losses.