The Oregon Ducks need a win on Saturday night against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Autzen Stadium to keep alive their hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff for the third consecutive season.
With a 3-2 record that includes a recent 17-15 loss to the No. 12 UCLA Bruins, the Ducks find themselves ranked outside the AP Top 25 for the first time since coach Dan Lanning’s first year with Oregon in 2022.
To make the CFP, the Ducks need to win out to earn a spot in the 12-team bracket, and that rally can start with a victory over quarterback Anthony Colandrea and a talented Cornhuskers team on Saturday night.
The Ducks are currently seven-point favorites, according to the latest DraftKings Sportsbook betting odds, and will need these five players to beat the Cornhuskers to improve to 4-2.
Dylan Raiola
Quarterback Dante Moore is expected to miss his second consecutive game with a concussion when the Ducks face the Cornhuskers on Saturday. Oregon coach Dan Lanning has left the starting quarterback role open on Saturday open for the matchup against the Cornhuskers.
If Raiola starts Saturday, he’ll look to bounce back from his struggles in the loss to the Bruins. Raiola threw for 43 yards and two interceptions on 6-of-19 passes. This poor showing resulted in him being benched for third-string quarterback Brock Thomas, who finished with 156 yards and a touchdown on 11-of-15 passes.
Thomas could also earn the start on Saturday against the Cornhuskers. Despite his struggles in the loss to the Bruins, Lanning remains confident in Raiola, and the former Nebraska quarterback showed great humility and took responsibility for his recent performance.
“I got a younger brother, and he looks up to me, and I mean, this isn’t just football. This is life, and tough situations happen, and you gotta, you gotta own them,” Raiola said following the loss to UCLA. “The product I put out there, I gotta live with that. So, I mean, I gotta own everything, take it on the chin and move forward.”
A bounce-back performance and a Ducks win over his former team should give Raiola the confidence boost he needs as he looks to keep this Oregon team afloat while awaiting Moore’s potential return. With injuries mounting and the Ducks' offensive line struggling, how Raiola leads this Oregon team forward will make a massive difference.
Raiola spent two seasons in Lincoln, throwing for 4,819 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. For a Cornhuskers team coming off a near-upset win over the No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers, Nebraska would love nothing more than to go on the road and upset their former starting quarterback on Saturday night to reach bowl eligibility.
Matayo Uiagalelei
Among the biggest keys for the Ducks' defense on Saturday night will be creating pressure on Cornhuskers quarterback Anthony Colandrea, who can hurt Oregon both through the air and on the ground.
Despite the loss to the Bruins, the Ducks' defense impressed, especially by getting to the quarterback. Creating sacks is something the Ducks struggled with at the beginning of the season, but in the last two games, Oregon has taken promising steps to improve.
One of the Ducks' defensive leaders, linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei, has been one of the driving forces of that effort, and he recently spoke on what has changed in Oregon, creating pressure on the quarterback.
“I think it’s just something that we emphasize in practice, finishing. Just being all around, more violent, more aggressive on D, especially as a front. And I mean, that’s all I can really say, just practice habits,” Uiagalelei said.
Uiagalelei’s performance for the Ducks' defense looks to build on his performance in the loss to the Bruins with another valuable showing Saturday night against the Cornhuskers. In the loss, Uiagalelei collected seven total tackles and two sacks for Oregon’s defense.
Messiah Hampton
With Ducks wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan expected to miss his fourth straight game, and Evan Stewart upgraded to doubtful on Thursday's Big Ten availability report, true freshman wide receiver Messiah Hampton looks to step up for the Ducks offense.
The former four-star recruit from James Monroe High School in Rochester, New York, is off to a strong start to his Oregon career, recording 17 receptions for 156 yards and two touchdowns. Hampton’s best performance came in the Ducks' 84-0 win over the Portland State Vikings on Sept. 18, recording 71 yards and two touchdowns.
With their season on the line, can Hampton put together a similar performance in Saturday’s matchup against the Cornhuskers?
The Ducks and Cornhuskers will kick off at Autzen Stadium at 8 p.m. PT, with the game broadcast on FOX. It'll be the first meeting between the Ducks and Cornhuskers since 2017, a game Oregon won 42-35 at Autzen Stadium.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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