It wasn’t pretty by any means, but the Oregon Ducks, with their season on the line, rallied to defeat the Nebraska Cornhuskers 17-14 on Saturday night.
After he was inserted into the game as the Ducks' starting quarterback in the fourth quarter, Dylan Raiola led Oregon on a 20-play, 82-yard drive that lasted 5:03 to lift the Ducks to a 17-14 win over the Cornhuskers.
With the win, the Ducks improve to 4-2 on the season and 2-1 in Big Ten play as they hit the road to face the Illinois Fighting Illini. Here are the grades for every position group on the Ducks roster in their win over the Cornhuskers.
Quarterbacks: C-
While Raiola led the Ducks to the comeback win over the Cornhuskers, quarterback play will remain a focus heading into Oregon’s road matchup against the Fighting Illini in Champaign, Illinois.
Third-string quarterback Brock Thomas earned the start over Raiola. This time, Thomas was the quarterback benched. In the three full quarters that he played for the Ducks, Thomas threw for 54 yards and one interception on 9-for-20 passes.
Raiola made up for Thomas rough showing, throwing for 59 yards and a touchdown on 11 of 19 passes. Heading into their matchup against the Fighting Illini and the Ducks, Oregon will likely start Raiola. That is, of course, assuming Dante Moore misses his third straight game with a concussion.
Running Backs: B-
The Ducks outrushed the Cornhuskers 129 to 78 in Saturday night’s win. Dierre Hill Jr. led the Ducks in rushing. Hill finished with 14 carries for 67 yards. However, it wasn’t all perfect for the Ducks' rushing attack. Running back Jordon Davison fumbled after an interception in Cornhuskers territory, spoiling a potential scoring drive.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: B
Wide receiver Dakorien Moore and tight end Jamari Johnson led the Ducks in a poor offensive showing. In addition to his game-winning touchdown catch, Johnson hauled in five catches for 35 yards. Moore added seven receptions for 36 yards.
Offensive Line: D+
The offensive line remains a major concern for the Ducks as Oregon is still trying to figure out a lineup that works. Against the Cornhuskers, the Ducks' offensive line allowed a sack and 11 tackles for loss.
This is an issue the Ducks are running out of time to fix, as it may end up being an ongoing issue for the remainder of the season. It's to be seen if the unit puts together a better showing on the road on Saturday against the Fighting Illini in Champaign, Illinois.
Defensive Line: A
Among the bright spots in the Ducks' last two games against the No. 9 UCLA Bruins and the Nebraska Cornhuskers has been Oregon’s defensive line. To begin the season, the Ducks struggled to create pressure on the quarterback. However, as the year has gone on, the Ducks have improved in that category, and it held on Saturday night.
The Ducks recorded three sacks, and defensive tackle Bear Alexander led Oregon’s defensive line, recording seven total tackles. A’Mauri Washington was also strong up front for the Ducks, collecting four total tackles.
Linebackers: A
The linebackers were just as strong for the Ducks' defense, especially outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti, who finished with five total tackles and 2.5 TFL’s for Oregon. Matayo Uiagalelei, who, leading up to the Ducks clash with the Cornhuskers, emphasized the importance of Oregon’s defense being more aggressive, brought that in Saturday night’s game, finishing with six total tackles.
Defensive Backs: A-
The Ducks' secondary has seen their fair share of highs and lows throughout the season, and against the Cornhuskers, the unit only allowed Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea to throw for 164 yards, one touchdown, and an interception on 18-for-33 passing.
While the interception didn’t result in points for the Ducks, a fumble occurred right after defensive back Ify Obidegwu's concentration on staying in bounds was highlighted, showcasing an all-around disciplined performance by Oregon’s secondary. Defensive back Koi Perich also made an impact, recording six total tackles.
With matchups against ranked opponents coming up on the Ducks' schedule, including the No. 24 Northwestern Wildcats (Oct. 31) and the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes, discipline is exactly what Oregon’s secondary needs if they hope to win out and build a case to make the College Football Playoff for the third consecutive season.
Special Teams: A+
The Ducks' special teams are the only unit on the roster that gets an A+ rating for their performance against the Cornhuskers. Oregon kicker Gage Hurych went a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals, including a 37-yarder.
Punter Bailey Ettridge also excelled in pinning the Cornhuskers back in their own territory, as it was a field-position battle throughout the majority of the game. The Ducks' special teams unit also took advantage of a bad snap on a Nebraska punt, gifting Oregon a short field and resulting in one of Hurych’s three field goals.
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