Oregon · Big TenOregon hands Dylan Raiola the UCLA start
Raiola takes over for concussed Dante Moore after throwing for 289 yards in Oregon’s comeback win at USC.
OCT 9, 2026
UCLA's undefeated record entering the matchup
Raiola's completions against USC
Raiola's passing yards in the comeback win
01 · The NewsRaiola Gets the Call
On Saturday, Oct. 10, Oregon will start junior transfer Dylan Raiola against undefeated UCLA while Dante Moore continues recovering from the concussion he suffered Sept. 26 at USC.
It will be Raiola’s first start for Oregon. He replaced Moore against USC and completed 19 of 25 passes for 289 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in a 41–27 comeback victory.
The decision puts Oregon’s College Football Playoff path and its quarterback hierarchy in Raiola’s hands. The Ducks are 3–1, UCLA is 4–0, and Oregon has not said when Moore will be medically cleared or whether Raiola will start beyond the UCLA game.
“If he can just play like he played last time every single time, I think we'd be sitting in a really good situation,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said.
02 · The StakesWhy This One Matters
Raiola’s USC performance gave Oregon an experienced option for a playoff-level schedule instead of forcing an untested backup into the lineup. Now he has to produce from the opening snap against a UCLA team that has won four straight after going 3–9 in 2025. The Bruins have scored at least 45 points in three of those victories, including a 54–3 win at Maryland on Sept. 26. Oregon has already absorbed a 39–31 loss at Oklahoma State, then answered with wins over Portland State and USC. Oddsmakers have made the Ducks an 11.5-point favorite, but UCLA’s start has changed the shape of the matchup. Josh Pate’s preseason bracket put Oregon No. 6 in the College Football Playoff field. Moore’s concussion and Raiola’s promotion now directly test that projection, beginning with the 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff in Eugene.
03 · The Detail Beneath the HeadlineWhat Most People Are Missing
Oregon built an unusual quarterback room by adding Raiola even though Moore had an established role. Raiola arrived from Nebraska with a 13–9 record, nearly 5,000 passing yards and 31 touchdowns. A broken leg cut short his 2025 season.
Raiola committed to Oregon on Jan. 12, two days before Moore chose to return rather than enter the NFL draft. Lanning said Raiola accepted less money and a smaller role than he could have found elsewhere.
“He did come here for a discount in comparison to what he could've made to go someplace else. I think Dante followed a similar path … I think he said I'm ready for a new life, a new change and knew this could be one of the scenarios that played out for him,” Lanning said.
That arrangement is rare in the transfer-portal era. Texas A&M coach Mike Elko described the market this way: “It's impossible. I don't think anybody anywhere is recruiting depth out of the portal. I don't think people in the portal go where there is an established starter.”
Oregon had one anyway. When Moore left the USC game, the Ducks turned to a former starter who had already handled college football’s pressure rather than a quarterback making his first meaningful appearance.
“If he can just play like he played last time every single time, I think we'd be sitting in a really good situation”
Dan Lanning04 · The PersonnelNext Man Up
Raiola’s USC line gives Lanning a clear starting point: 19 completions in 25 attempts, 289 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. The performance helped Oregon win at USC, which has won five of its six games, but it did not settle what Raiola can sustain over a full game and a longer stretch. Moore’s status controls what follows. Oregon has not announced a return timetable, and Raiola’s assignment is confirmed only for UCLA. For now, the former Nebraska starter has the job.
05 · The ChessboardWhat the Coaches Can Actually Change
Lanning can carry forward the plan that produced the USC comeback. Raiola’s prior starting experience gives the Ducks room to ask more of him than they could ask of an inexperienced backup. The immediate question is whether Oregon can turn Raiola’s 25-attempt relief appearance into dependable quarterback play against an undefeated opponent. That answer will shape both the Ducks’ playoff pursuit and the decision waiting when Moore is cleared.
06 · The ThesisThe Pate State Read
Oregon’s quarterback insurance worked when Moore went down. Raiola entered a road game, threw for 289 yards and avoided an interception while leading a 41–27 comeback. That does not erase Moore’s position before the injury or establish Raiola as Oregon’s long-term starter. It does give the Ducks a proven replacement for a game that carries more weight than a routine fill-in assignment. Watch Raiola’s ball security and efficiency against UCLA: can he follow a zero-interception, 19-for-25 performance without the advantage of entering midgame? Then watch the decision after Saturday, Oct. 10, when Oregon must determine whether Raiola’s run ends with Moore’s recovery or continues. Raiola said his previous starting experience has helped him process Oregon’s offense faster. “I think just with the reps that I've banked playing, I feel like when I'm watching tape, things may hit me a little faster. I'm able to recognize it and understand it quicker. Whereas maybe in the past I had to study it a little more, now I can recognize it and implement what we're trying to get done on the offensive side and kind of visualize those plays coming to life.”
07 · The Watch ListWhat We're Watching
Can Raiola stay efficient?
Watch Raiola’s ball security and efficiency against UCLA: can he follow a zero-interception, 19-for-25 performance without the advantage of entering midgame?
Who starts after UCLA?
Then watch the decision after Saturday, Oct. 10, when Oregon must determine whether Raiola’s run ends with Moore’s recovery or continues.