After the decision was made by coach Dan Lanning of the now-unranked Oregon Ducks (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) to bench junior quarterback Dylan Raiola for senior walk-on Brock Thomas at the start of the fourth quarter on Oct. 10, it was made abundantly clear that the Ducks miss redshirt senior quarterback Dante Moore.
After the 17-15 loss to the now No. 12 UCLA Bruins (5-0, 3-0 Big Ten) inside Autzen Stadium and Moore looking to move off of concussion protocol, no more mistakes can be made if a third straight College Football Playoff appearance is to be made.
The fall to UCLA was only the second home loss during the Lanning era dating back to 2022. Coach Matt Rhule and the Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten), one of the top remaining Big Ten Conference programs remaining on Oregon's schedule, stand in the way on the night of Oct. 17.
The Cornhuskers are also coming off a rough come-from-behind loss at home to the newly ranked No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) in Lincoln, Nebraska, 20-17.
Nebraska at Oregon Betting Odds
According to FanDuel, the spread for the Week 7 matchup stands at 7.5 points in favor of the Ducks. Oregon's moneyline is -300, and Nebraska's is +240. The over/under is set at 52.5.
The last time these two opponents met was in the 2017 campaign, resulting in a 42-35 victory for the Ducks in Eugene, Oregon. The Cornhuskers lead the all-time record, 6-2, dating back to 1952.
The late matchup starts at 8:00 p.m. PT on Oct. 17 at Autzen Stadium. It can be viewed on FOX.
Dylan Raiola's Multiple Mistakes Were Costly Against UCLA
It's up in the air whether the former member of Nebraska's 2024 and 2025 teams, Raiola, will get a second straight start for the Ducks when going up against his previous school. That's as long as Moore is fully cleared to suit back up after suffering a concussion in the 41-27 victory at the USC Trojans back on Sept. 26.
If Moore doesn't, will Sheldon product Thomas receive his first career start with Oregon? Will an offensive play-caller change be made after first-year offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer conjured up only 272 total yards from the press box?
Under Mehringer, the Ducks committed a total of seven turnovers to the Bruins, tied for the most since their 30-24 loss to Indiana in the Pacific Northwest back on Sept. 11, 2004. Raiola struggled to take care of the ball against coach Bob Chesney's defense, completing only 6-of-19 passes for 43 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. Not to mention his one lost fumble.
Oregon as a whole only went 1-for-12 on third downs and 0-for-2 on fourth downs. The turnovers on downs gave up two more too many opportunities for UCLA's three-headed monster in the backfield, fifth-year Wayne Knight, fifth-year Anthony Woods, and senior Jaivian Thomas, to extend drives and let the clock dwindle away.
That running back trio combined for 150 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown on 35 carries.
Big Ten Referees Make Major Blunder During UCLA Loss
The Big Ten issued a statement on Oct. 12, that Oregon's second failed two-point attempt in the game against UCLA that occurred late in the fourth quarter should have been taken from the half-yard line instead of the 1.5-yard line. That mental mistake by the referees was an oversight that might have cost the Ducks their chance at any sort of deep postseason run.
On the other hand, the topic of the suspension of Oregon's fifth-year defensive lineman Bear Alexander is being criticized after he tried to punch the ball out of senior quarterback Nico Iamaleava's hands towards the end of the first half, hitting his head with a full swing.
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