EUGENE, Ore. — The No. 25 Oregon Ducks host the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday night at Autzen Stadium, turning to senior Brock Thomas for his first career start at quarterback after benching former Nebraska starter Dylan Raiola.
Thomas, a Eugene native and former walk-on, handled the majority of first-team repetitions during practice this week and is set to guide the offense, according to reports from CBS Sports and On3. Regular starter Dante Moore remains unavailable following a concussion sustained against Southern California on Sept. 26.
The lineup change introduces a dramatic turn for Raiola, who spent two seasons starting for Nebraska before transferring to Oregon last winter. Raiola was pulled in the fourth quarter of a 17-15 loss to UCLA last Saturday after completing six of 19 passes for 43 yards with two interceptions and a lost fumble.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning evaluated the position throughout the week following the setback.
“He wasn’t good enough today. I think he can acknowledge that,” Lanning said after the UCLA game, as reported by The Big Lead. “But we didn’t prepare him to be good enough today.”
Thomas entered in relief against UCLA and sparked the offense by completing 11 of 15 passes for 156 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Evan Stewart late in the fourth quarter.
Nebraska Brings Elite Defense to Eugene
Nebraska enters the matchup at 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten after suffering a 20-17 loss to Indiana last week. The Cornhuskers travel west backed by an elite defensive unit coordinated by first-year defensive coordinator Rob Aurich. Nebraska ranks first in the nation in third-down defense, limiting opponents to a 19.7 percent conversion rate, and allows only 15.2 points per game.
Offensively, Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea has spearheaded an attack producing 39.2 points per contest. Colandrea has compiled 1,405 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and three interceptions this season, while contributing 296 rushing yards.
High Stakes for Both Programs
Oregon enters the game at 3-2 overall and 1-1 in conference action, seeking to avoid back-to-back home defeats for the first time since 2016. In addition to Moore’s absence, the Ducks may be without Stewart, who is doubtful due to an undisclosed issue, according to Sports Illustrated.
Oregon center Iapani Laloulu acknowledged that the offensive line must execute far better after allowing five tackles for loss per game this year.
“We’re just not playing up to the best standard right now and we’re not playing with the basics,” Laloulu told Sports Illustrated.
On the other side of the ball, the Ducks lean on outside linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei, who leads Oregon with five sacks on the season. Uiagalelei and the Ducks will aim to pressure Colandrea, who has been sacked 10 times this year.
Fox will broadcast the game nationally, with kickoff set for 11 p.m. Eastern time. How Thomas performs under pressure and whether he can maintain hold of the starting role until Moore returns remain the key questions facing the Ducks.
