EUGENE – The first half of the Oregon Ducks’ Week 7 matchup with the Nebraska Cornhuskers was a tale of two sides of the field.
While the Ducks’ defense limited the Cornhuskers’ offense early, the Oregon offense picked up only 50 first-half total yards. After a 15-point offensive output in the loss to the No. 12 UCLA Bruins raised questions a week prior, concerns remained high after the 7-0 halftime deficit.
Coming out of halftime, Thomas continued to lead the offense, leading two drives that ended in field goals, cutting Nebraska's lead to 7-6. The decision came to the surprise of many, considering the lack of offensive momentum.
Then, Raiola came in for Thomas to start the fourth quarter with the Ducks trailing 14-6. Thomas had just thrown an interception. Thomas' night seemingly ends with 9-for-20 passing for 54 yards, one interception and no touchdowns.
Ducks fans cheered to see Raiola enter the game. For Raiola, facing his former team was going to be "weird" as he said earlier in the week.
Dan Lanning Searches for Offensive Answers
Oregon’s offense struggled to take care of the ball in the loss to UCLA. Raiola started at quarterback and threw two interceptions, and the offense also fumbled the ball five times, for a total of seven turnovers.
The Ducks held onto the ball better in the first half against the Cornhuskers, but only recorded two first downs and went 0-for-7 on third-down attempts.
Coach Dan Lanning acknowledged after the UCLA loss that he could’ve pulled Raiola sooner than he did, with Brock Thomas entering in Raiola’s place in the fourth quarter.
"I mean, the question was that to me: Why not make the change sooner after the game? I think that's fair,” Lanning said on Monday
“On the same note, I feel like some of those positions we put them in weren't successful opportunities as well," he added. "I think we made some adjustments in having getting the ball out a little bit quicker, creating some more open pictures that allowed Brock to do that.”
With Thomas earning the start in Week 7 and struggling, completing six of his 15 first-half passes for 30 yards, the question at halftime became: Will Lanning make the change sooner? Fans inside of Autzen Stadium have chanted for Raiola at times.
The Oregon Ducks’ Quarterback Dilemma
Oregon punter Bailey Ettridge had a busy first half once again, punting seven times, The only instance where the Ducks found themselves in the red zone came after the defense and defensive back Ify Obidegwu intercepted the football at the Nebraska 14.
But Oregon immediately fumbled and gave the ball right back.
Quarterback Dante Moore continues to be sidelined after sustaining a concussion that sent him off the field on a stretcher in Week 4 against the USC Trojans. Raiola and second-year quarterback Akili Smith Jr. were the two options outside of Thomas to play for Oregon down the stretch against the Cornhuskers.
Ultimately, it was Thomas back in with the offense to begin the second half, although Raiola was seen warming up on the sideline. The Ducks did score field goals on each of their first two offensive drives of the second half, but chants for Raiola continued to come from the student section at Autzen Stadium.
Raiola is a quarterback who has by far the most experience of Oregon’s three backups. In 2026, he’s completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 456 yards and five touchdowns. Raiola also knows Nebraska very well, transferring from the Big Ten program in the offseason.
In his two seasons at Nebraska, Raiola threw a total of 4,819 yards and 31 touchdowns. Even though Raiola’s performance in the loss to the Bruins brought up plenty of concerns, he showed that he was ready to step into the game off the bench against the Trojans, when he led the Ducks to victory in a top-25 battle.
Lanning’s halftime options were either letting the transfer quarterback show that his Week 6 performance was a one-off, continuing to roll with Thomas or giving the young Smith a chance to show what he brings to the table.
Smith only experience playing in a collegiate game came late against the FCS Portland State Vikings on Sept. 18. Smith went 2-for-4 with 31 yards, along with two carries for seven yards. Putting in the former four-star recruit with no experience against an FBS program seemed like a gamble in a game that the Ducks’ College Football Playoff hopes hinged on seemed like a gamble, but Lanning expressed his trust in Smith earlier in the week.
“Akili’s done a really good job, and he's probably the one that's the most different from a package standpoint and things that you can carry and do different with Akili,” Lanning said. “But he has a really strong arm, been able to connect vertically on shots. Obviously, his feet become a weapon, right, and are a real tool for us as well. But yeah, he's done a really good job.”
Smith might not have earned his opportunity right off the bat in the second half against Nebraska, but if the Ducks' offensive woes continue, anything seems to be a possibility.
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