Following the loss to Illinois, things started to look bleak for the Oregon Ducks as Dan Lanning's team suffered their third loss of the season. Lanning made the decision to fire Offensive Coordinator Drew Mehringer, creating what looked like a big position to fill in the offseason. Add in the fact that Raiola struggled mightily in the loss to Illinois, and it looked like Oregon might need to find a QB and OC in the offseason.
With Dante Moore ruled out for the season, assistant quarterbacks coach Jay Johnson was given the task of getting the offense back on track. Through 3 games of the marriage between Johnson and Raiola, the results couldn't be more promising for the Oregon Ducks.
Dan Lanning may have found his OC-QB tandem before the offseason arrives
Saturday Afternoon's win over the Michigan Wolverines pushed the Ducks to 3-0 since the decision to fire offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer, as Oregon continues to build momentum down the stretch. The game also marked a third straight impressive showing by the offense, as Dan Lanning may have his quarterback and offensive coordinator in place for 2028.
With a 4-2 record in Big Ten play, the Ducks have played 4 games with Mehringer and 3 with Johnson, and the results couldn't be more different. Drew Mehringer went just 1-2 in his 3 Big Ten games as offensive coordinator, averaging just 20.75 points per game, which was heavily helped by the defense. Mehringer's offense averaged 231 passing yards per game, 130 rush yards per game, and 4 yards per carry across Big Ten Play.
Oregon's offensive output under Jay Johnson is up almost across the entire board, as the unit has lived up to the potential many saw in it. Oregon's passing for 311.33 yards per game, rushing for 113 yards per game, and while the rushing total is down, the Ducks are averaging 4.65 yards per carry.
When you compare the opponents on paper, you'd much rather face the group Mehringer got to face than the tough defense Jay Johnson has been tasked with moving the ball against.
The biggest difference between the two play callers has been the way that they've been able to utilize the quarterbacks. Under Drew Mehringer, both Brock Thomas and Dylan Raiola struggled, but under Jay Johnson, Raiola has been everything the staff hoped for when they picked him to serve as a backup capable of keeping the team afloat.
Raiola has completed 67 of his 99 attempts (67.6%) for 934 yards and 9 touchdowns without an interception over the last three games. Under Mehringer, Raiola had bright moments off the bench, but the starts were never impressive, speaking to some of the game-planning flaws and the inability to adjust in game.
The small sample size has been incredible for Oregon's QB-OC tandem, but the final few games of the season will likely decide the actual fate of the duo, as there's still plenty of time for Dan Lanning to evaluate the staff and players. If Oregon's offense can continue to shine down the stretch, and if the Ducks find a way into the College Football Playoff, it may be hard to make any change.
The reasons to head into 2027-28 with the duo locked in are plentiful, but it also has to make sense for Dan Lanning. Having familiarity between the duo would help eliminate some of the growing pains the Ducks saw in the transition to Mehringer this season. More important than almost anything else in this era is the fact that Oregon wouldn't have to shop at the top of the market for a transfer QB.
Oregon spent big to keep Dante Moore and some veterans in school, and when you spend big on the quarterback, it limits spending elsewhere like everyone saw with the transfer class. If Raiola can prove to be the guy for the Ducks, Lanning and the staff won't have to get into a bidding war for a quarterback, and they can ensure this team has all the pieces to make a run next year.
Dan Lanning's going to make decisions in the offseason, but through 3 games, it should feel exciting that Raiola and Johnson have even made this a conversation after the unit looked so broken.
Add us as a preferred source on Google