The Oregon Ducks came into Saturday Afternoon with a massive opportunity with the 21st ranked UCLA Bruins coming to town. A win would give the Ducks another resume building win while seemingly surviving Dante Moore's injury with a 2-0 record. Based on the fact that the Ducks went out and added Dylan Raiola to give the team a reliable backup quarterback, offensive struggles couldn't be an excuse.
Instead, Oregon looked like a team that was stuck in the mud for 3 quarters, failing to get anything going before Dylan Raiola was benched. In the end, it was too little, too late, as the 6 turnovers earlier in the game dug the Ducks far too deep a hole, dropping this team to 3-2 in a year where the team had championship or bust expectations.
The 5 biggest losers from Oregon's struggle fest vs. UCLA
Dan Lanning - Head Coach
Coming into the year, the expectation was for the Ducks to compete for the National Championship, and through 5 games, the team is now just 3-2. This marks the second time the Ducks have looked completely unprepared for a game, and it cost Oregon again in this game, as it did against Oklahoma State. Oregon had two weeks to prepare for this game, and the lack of answers for the Ducks has to fall on Lanning.
Dylan Raiola - Quarterback
After an impressive relief appearance against USC, Dylan Raiola had another chance to prove he's a different quarterback than the one everyone saw at Nebraska. Instead, Raiola reverted back to the player the Huskers walked away from, drifting in pockets, making poor decisions, and missing on throws. Any fans who thought that Raiola may be a better fit for the offense after last game looks foolish with the way he played on Saturday, as he was benched in the 4th quarter for Brock Thomas.
Drew Mehringer - Offensive Coordinator
The Ducks had two weeks to prepare for this game, and based on the severity of the hit that Dante Moore took, everyone knew that he likely wouldn't be back. Oregon's offense was abysmal on Saturday, and the blame has to start with the coordinator as nothing worked for the Ducks in this game. While Dylan Raiola certainly didn't make his job easier, Mehringer didn't make any adjustments that helped him find a rhythm, and they turned to Brock Thomas far too late.
A'lique Terry - Offensive Line Coach
Oregon chose to rely on the talent the Ducks have recruited rather than going out and bringing in starting offensive linemen this offseason. Thus far, Oregon has yet to start the same starting offensive line in back to back weeks, and the combinations the team has played haven't worked out. The Ducks' offensive line got worked on Saturday, and the blame has to start with the coaching staff.
Jordon Davison - Running Back
Oregon didn't find much on offense in this game, but in the 2nd quarter, the wildcat formation was working for the Ducks. On UCLA's 13 yard line, Oregon went to the wildcat again, but Davison fumbled at the mesh point, seemingly taking points off the board. Failing to convert the 2-point conversion late in the 4th quarter only adds to the many issues the Ducks had in this game.
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