Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning highly praised Dylan Raiola for one key feature in his game.
The Oregon Ducks are currently on a bye week following an impressive upset win over the USC Trojans.
Despite the Ducks losing starting quarterback Dante Moore to a scary hit in the middle of the game, the team never quit. Moore was taken to a local hospital, and it was determined that he suffered a concussion.
The veteran signal-caller will now work to get out of the protocol, and he has some extra time due to the bye week. But if he can't go, backup Dylan Raiola will take his starting spot, much like he did in the game against the Trojans.
Raiola replaced Moore in the game, but the Ducks' offense didn't skip a beat at all. The backup led his team to a big win, with Raiola looking very comfortable in the system.
Overall, he threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns against USC, showing what he is capable of doing. But coming into a game in the manner that he did isn't easy, and it's something that has impressed head coach Dan Lanning.
During an appearance on The Jim Rome Show, Lanning praised his quarterback for having the ability to stay ready when called upon. Lanning was happy to see how Raiola performed in the game, giving the Ducks a major boost.
Raiola was the starter at Nebraska over the last two years, but he decided to leave for Oregon this offseason. The veteran knew that he would be the backup to Moore, but he wanted to learn from Lanning to become a better football player.
In his first real outing with the Ducks, Raiola looked the part, and now he may be called upon again depending on the injury status to Moore. But going from being a starter to a backup to a potential starter again isn't easy to do, and it can take a toll mentally on a player.
So, for Raiola, this showed his mental toughness, and it's something that the entire Ducks program was happy to see. Of course, Oregon would have rather not seen Raiola enter the game, but injuries are an unfortunate part of sports.
After the bye week, Oregon will be hosting the UCLA Bruins in a Big Ten showdown. UCLA is ranked No. 23 right now, and the Bruins have been slowly rising up the rankings.
Raiola will be the starter if Moore can't go, and then the following week, the Ducks take on Nebraska. If Raiola is still starting when this game occurs, it could be a bittersweet moment for the Oregon backup.
