Moments after Dan Lanning walked out of his postgame press conference, in stepped the maligned Dylan Raiola. The hero off the bench for the Oregon Ducks in a win just two weeks ago over rival USC, Raiola was the target of plenty of criticism after an atrocious showing against UCLA.
In his first start for the Ducks, Raiola only made it through three quarters, finishing 6-of-19 passing for 43 yards. The Nebraska transfer tossed two interceptions that left fans scratching their heads and lost a fumble at midfield that led to points for the Bruins. Every point mattered in the 17-15 loss, and Raiola was a big part of Oregon's seven-turnover day.
It was not a good day for the former five-star, and he didn't shy away from that. It was a surprise to some
that Raiola, who was benched for third-string quarterback Brock Thomas at the end of the third quarter, sat down to face the music from the media after the game.
And, to Raiola's credit, he wore the loss on his sleeve and vowed to learn from it.
"I've got to do a better job of rallying the guys, making a play, or getting us going to flip the switch," Raiola said. "Because we're really one play away from things going the other way. But I can't turn the ball over. I was reckless with the ball today, and you can't win football games like that."
Raiola felt the Ducks' coaching staff had him well prepared to make the start, and Raiola believed he saw the field well. However, the junior passer tried to force the action and sometimes just missed open targets. Raiola's feet danced a jig in the pocket and helped him evade pressure at times, but the longer he held the ball, the greater the likelihood that a mistake was coming.
Lanning expressed confidence in Raiola in the lead-up to the game, and for good reason. Raiola was instrumental in Oregon's win over USC after Dante Moore left with a concussion. Not only did he rally the team with his leadership, but he was sharp and decisive with his throws.
This week, not so much.
"Two weeks ago, he was phenomenal," Lanning said of Raiola. "What you've always got to recognize is that there's going to be a lot of praise in moments, and then there are going to be some negative moments. Probably neither one of them is true. Early in the year, we identified some throws where we said, 'Hey, that throw worked here, but does it really work when you go play a team that's comparable and talented?' We didn't get some of those things fixed, and that showed up today."
Oregon Ducks Head Coach Dan Lanning had encouraging words on QB Dylan Raiola after the loss to UCLA pic.twitter.com/zuHSTvpXh1
— Guillermo Motta (@GMottaTV) October 11, 2026
Oregon didn't have a running game to support Raiola, but the offensive line did a nice job picking up UCLA's unique blitzes to give the Ducks a shot through the air. Raiola deflected blame from the big guys up front and acknowledged the missed opportunities for the offense.
"I've got to make those throws. That has nothing to do with the run game," Raiola said. "Credit to (UCLA). They're a good football team. They're undefeated for a reason. They obviously had a plan to stop our running attack. I wouldn't put it on our O-line. They're awesome, and I wouldn't trade them for anybody," he said. "We'll go to the doctor tomorrow, figure this thing out, and hopefully get it turned around."
After losing to Oklahoma State earlier this season, Oregon edge rusher Teitum Tuioti admitted that the team might have gotten caught up in all of the positive press surrounding the program heading into the season. The Ducks were seen as a shoo-in for the College Football Playoff and destined for a run to potentially win it all. A reality check was served against Boise State, and then the hammer came down during the trip to Stillwater.
Raiola earned unanimous praise for his play in Los Angeles two weeks ago, and he had no shortage of confidence making his first Oregon start against the Bruins. Now that his outing fell apart and resulted in another ugly loss, the surrounding narrative won't be as kind. Raiola said he "wasn't confused" by what he saw from the UCLA defense, but the big plays never materialized, and now there is a question as to whether or not he will start again next week against Nebraska if Moore is not ready to return.
Either way, Lanning made sure to have his signal-caller's back.
"He has to know that we have a team here that's going to support him," Lanning said. "We have a coaching staff that's here to support him and just wants to see him continue to improve, get better and get some of his confidence back. Certainly, he's lost some of that today. If he pays too much attention to the news, he's going to lose some more of that. If he just goes out there, works and focuses on improvement, then he's got a chance to continue to become a good player."
Raiola sat in front of the microphone, clearly feeling the weight of the loss on his shoulders. While at Nebraska, Raiola had a reputation, fair or not, for lacking maturity when not playing to his potential. So far at Oregon, through highs and lows, Raiola has shown nothing but humility and accountability, and it was the driving reason behind his decision to speak to the media.
It's easy to talk when things are going well, but a leader knows how to fall on their sword, accept punishment, and provide answers to difficult questions when things fall apart.
Here's Dylan Raiola on why he decided to address the media today.
— Brenna Greene (@BrennaGreene_) October 11, 2026
"This isn't just football. This is life. Tough situations happen. You gotta own 'em."
Apologies about the audio tick. There were issues with Oregon's board today. pic.twitter.com/tKK7gCB2sh
"I got a younger brother (tight end Dayton Raiola), and he looks up to me. This isn't just football; this is life," Raiola said. "Tough situations happen, and you've gotta own them. There is no running around them, there's no dodgin them. The product we put out there — the product I put out there — I've gotta live with that. I've gotta own everything."
Lanning didn't provide a clear answer as to who the quarterback for Oregon will be next week against Nebraska, nor if there will be a change from Drew Mehringer as the offensive play-caller. If Raiola gets another shot, he plans to be ready, because there's only one thing he can do after a career-worst performance.
"Take it on the chin and move forward."
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon QB Dylan Raiola shoulders blame after offense falls flat vs. UCLA
