Midway through the third quarter against the UCLA Bruins, the Oregon Ducks' offense trotted onto the field facing a 10-6 deficit. They had managed less than 100 total yards and committed four turnovers, lacking any sort of rhythm that we've been accustomed to seeing from the Ducks. Backup quarterback Dylan Raiola, two weeks off of nearly throwing for 300 yard and two touchdowns against the USC Trojans, had thrown for just 36 yards at that point.
As the Ducks prepared for the offensive possession at their own 11-yard line, they lined up into an unfamiliar formation. Backup interior lineman Koloi Keli was at the fullback, with running back Jordon Davison right behind him in the I-formation. Two tight ends flanked each of the offensive tackles,
creating a seven-man line with Keli as a lead blocker.
Three straight runs up the gut ensued, resulting in the first first-down in what felt like two hours of real time. The Autzen Stadium crowd cheered in relief — with a bit of sarcasm mixed in. After three straight runs up the middle, Raiola threw a pass to wide receiver Evan Stewart who quickly fumbled, giving the ball back to the Bruins.
Despite the turnover, Oregon's fifth of seven on the game, the Ducks appeared to have found something. Seemingly a positive, it could also be drawn up as a last gasp offensive scheme, as quite literally nothing else had worked up to that point. I-formation's in modern college football are normally reserved for short-yardage situations. The Ducks used it on their own 11-yard line on 1st-and-10 with 89 yards ahead of them.
That's extremely concerning.
Raiola was struggling to complete passes, but it's not like they were all simple throws. Could offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer really not manage to scheme up a couple of easy tosses for his backup quarterback? Raiola completed his first three passes before going 3-of-16 with two interceptions from then on, with his confidence clearly faltering. Mehringer didn't do much of anything to help, whether it be creating simpler reads for Raiola or calling well-timed screens to get the ball out of his hands quickly.
On top of it all, Mehringer's run scheme has consistently failed the Ducks when they most need it in 2026. It certainly failed against UCLA, as the star duo of Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. combined to average less than four yards per carry.
Deservingly, Mehringer's handle on the offense, specifically with his play-calling duties, was under fire after the game. Social media was abuzz — after all, Mehringer has, for the most part, disappointed in his first season as the offensive coordinator and play-caller.
Following the 17-15 loss, Dan Lanning was asked if there was a scenario in which he'd make a change at the play-caller position.
"We have to definitely evaluate the game first," Lanning told reporters. "Go back and look at it. We didn't have success on offense, so I think you have to look at all things, right? You have to look at all things. Was it the calls? Was it the way we operated in practice? Certainly wasn't the way we operated in the games, but everything has to be up for evaluation."
The way that Lanning went about hiring Mehringer is set to be a significant topic if the Ducks' offense underperforms even more moving forward, if it isn't already. The only other time that Mehringer had called plays before being promoted from within the Oregon program was at Rutgers in 2016. The Scarlet Knights averaged a meager 12.4 points per game — good for 128th in FBS. That's last.
Lanning remained noncommittal on a play-caller change this season. It was a non-answer, if you will. But if things continue to falter offensively for the unranked Ducks, Mehringer's seat will begin to scorch — forcing Lanning to make a decision that he's never had to make during his time at Oregon.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Dan Lanning doesn't close door on offensive play-caller change
