Oregon Names Starting QB for Northwestern Game

The Oregon Ducks made some big reveals for the offense this week in the wake of firing offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer following a 21-10 loss to Illinois in Week 8.

Analyst Jay Johnson will call the plays for Oregon. The quarterback position is in somewhat of a state of flux after head coach Dan Lanning revealed Dante Moore would not play again this season.

Per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, the Ducks will give the start against No. 20 Northwestern to Dylan Raiola on Saturday.

Raiola has thrown for 761 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions this season. He was the hero in the Ducks’ 41-27 win over USC on Sept. 26 and led the team for a game-winning touchdown drive over Nebraska on Oct. 17. He struggled against Illinois, throwing for 246 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

Brock Thomas came in for Raiola at the end of Oregon's 17-15 loss to UCLA. He got the start against Nebraska but was benched for Raiola in the fourth quarter.

Earlier in the week, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning suggested there could be more opportunities for sophomore quarterback Akili Smith Jr. to have more playing time this season. He went 2 of 4 passing for 31 yards in his only appearance this season in Oregon's 84-0 win over Portland State. 

The Ducks have not gotten superb quarterback play for most of the season. That trend could continue against a tough Northwestern defense this week. The Wildcats have been one of the big surprises in college football this year. They're 6-1 before playing the Ducks.

The next two weeks will tell us a lot about how the players are feeling about this team. After playing NW, Oregon will travel to play No. 2 Ohio State to start the month. That game was supposed to be one of the more intriguing matchups of the entire NCAA schedule, but it will be a pride game for the Ducks after losing three games before November.

For Raiola, the next two weeks are a huge opportunity to show the coaching staff why he should be the starting quarterback next season. (Of course, there is the possibility Moore will return for another season of college football in 2027.)

The Ducks will need to find a new offensive coordinator to coach the quarterback, but Raiola needs to improve his decision-making and start to take charge of Oregon's offense.