The first drive of the game for the Oregon Ducks against the Illinois Fighting Illini went exactly as planned: 11 plays, 75 yards and a touchdown. But from then on, the Ducks managed just three points, ultimately falling to the Fighting Illini, 21-10, and dropping to 4-3 on the season.
For the third straight week, Oregon's offense couldn't get out of its own way, either turning the ball over or failing to consistently sustain drives without starting quarterback Dante Moore. Normally, that'd be a cop out, but the Ducks dipped into the transfer portal this offseason and added former five-star and two-year Nebraska Cornhuskers starter Dylan Raiola to back up Moore.
Against the UCLA Bruins and Nebraska, both the skill positions and offensive linemen
around Raiola were filled with blue-chippers. Yet, questionable play calls from offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer and subpar individual play has plagued the Ducks amid a terrific string of games from the defense.
Despite the offense being without four of their top five wide receivers against Illinois, the blue print was laid out on the first drive: pound the football with star running back Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. But by game's end, Raiola had put the ball in the air 41 times and fumbled twice, losing one as the run game couldn't reclaim its success from the first drive aside from a pair of chunk runs.
"Weren't able to convert on third down, again, this week on offense and sustain drives and certainly didn't create the explosive plays you need to have to be successful," head coach Dan Lanning told reporters after the game. "Didn't do a good enough job protecting the ball and they got some momentum there in the second half and we weren't able to respond to that momentum."
After mounting a 10-0 lead and looking somewhat like the Ducks offense that we've grown accustomed to in recent years, Oregon couldn't get on the scoreboard for the rest of the game. Having endured three consecutive underwhelming offensive performances, Lanning was asked if he would consider a potential change at offensive coordinator.
"I think all things are on the table for us to make sure that we're the best version of ourselves," Lanning said. "And we're currently not that, that's very clear."
As the preseason No. 2 team, the Ducks were expected to pile on points in bunches. After all, that was the standard in 2025 and the seasons prior with offensive coordinators Kenny Dillingham and Will Stein, both of whom were hired as FBS head coaches after a successful run at Oregon.
Under Mehringer, that simply hasn't been the case.
The Ducks' offense hasn't consistently established the run despite a changing core of offensive linemen. The pass game sputtered with Moore under center against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Week 2, and has been inept for the majority of the three full games in his absence.
The constant is Mehringer, and Lanning didn't close the door on a potential change at the play caller spot.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Dan Lanning comments on potential change at OC for Oregon Ducks
