Jeff Gilligan

It was examples of a QB having a miserable game followed by a successful, sometimes very successful, season after that.

It looked great in every respect. Something that we expected from the start of the season and started seeing against USC and UCLA. The offensive line looked better. Nebraska is good team. They took Indiana to the wire in their only earlier loss. I almost have the feeling like the one after The Pick, which fueled our 1994 season.

I did post the examples of QBs having good games and then a horrible one, followed by excellent play after that. That written, I wanted Thomas to start. Has it ever occurred though, that a QB had a good game (Riola v USC) followed by a terrible one (UCLA) followed by a good one, and his replacement in his off game looked good but then was ineffective when he replaced the first QB as a starter. If a Duck fan was imprisoned and had to watch most of the game tonight, it would violate the Constitution's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. As it turned out, it was a game I will always remember in a positive way.

This reminds me of some of the early 1980s teams, with good defenses and no offense. It occurred to me.

OMG - now Dekorian Moore is hurt.

The defense hasn't been on the field much. Nebraska has only had 2 first downs.

The D has looked good so far.

One more possession for Brock, and then try Raiola, unless they see something with Akili.

Ryan Day stated postgame that he did not have all the details yet, but that Sayin would "probably be out several weeks". Day likely didn't have a full diagnosis.

While we should never want to see an injury to our guys or those on other teams, Ohio State QB Sayin left the game today with a shoulder injury with about 8 minutes left in the 4th quarter. We play tOSU on November 7. If it is a pinched nerve, he should be good to go by tomorrow. The other possibilities would might keep him out of the game against us. When a quarterback leaves a game holding a limp, dangling, or heavily supported arm (often cradling the elbow or forearm in a sling or jersey position), it typically points to a significant structural shoulder injury. The recovery timeline depends heavily on the specific diagnosis and severity: Common Shoulder Injuries and Timelines AC Joint Sprain (Shoulder Separation): Grade 1 (Mild): About 1 to 2 weeks of recovery. Grade 2 (Moderate): About 2 to 4 weeks. Grade 3 (Severe): Can take 6 to 12 weeks or longer, and may require surgery if the stability is severely compromised. Shoulder Dislocation or Subluxation: Conservative (No Surgery): Typically takes about 6 weeks to return once strength and range of motion are restored, though rushing back carries a high risk of re-injury. Surgical Repair: Requires 5 to 6 months of rehabilitation before returning to contact sports like football. Labral Tear or Rotator Cuff Strain/Tear: Minor strains: 2 to 4 weeks of rest and rehab. Severe tears or surgical intervention: Can sideline a player for several months to a full season.

It is a good game, but unless Oregon is playing, it seems like I have been watching it for 9 hours, and the third quarter just ended.

Oregon starting safety Aaron Flowers is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. I know that all teams suffer injuries, but any injury to a contributor, especially a starter, is a detriment. Head coach Dan Lanning announced the update on October 14, 2026, noting that Flowers had been playing through the upper-body injury before opting for surgical repair. 2026 Season Performance Before Injury Before being sidelined, the junior defensive back started the first four games of the regular season alongside fellow safety Koi Perich. He suffered the shoulder injury during Oregon's 41-27 victory against USC and was subsequently forced to miss the Ducks' October 10 game against UCLA. At the time of his injury, Flowers was a major anchor for the back end of the secondary, ranking fourth on the team in tackling production. His 2026 statistical production over his four appearances includes: Total Tackles: 17 combined tackles (8 solo, 9 assisted) Pass Deflections: 1 pass breakup With Flowers out, the Ducks will look toward junior Peyton Woodyard, who earned his first career start against UCLA, alongside freshman Devin Jackson to fill the void at safety. Might we see the highly touted freshman Jett Washington?

Many of us have been befuddled by how well Dylan played against USC and how miserably he played against UCLA. So, I wondered if there are recent historical situations where there were similarities to his past two games where things turned out fine for the rest of the year. While I'm not saying it will happen, it has. Many elite college quarterbacks have experienced a severe "rollercoaster" sequence of games—starting hot, suffering a catastrophic performance, and then playing exceptionally well for the remainder of the season. This specific trajectory often happens to young quarterbacks or teams facing an elite defensive adjustment early in the year. Two of the most famous and definitive examples of this exact pattern include: 1. Jameis Winston (2013, Florida State) During his Heisman-winning freshman season, Jameis Winston followed this exact script to perfection: The Great Game: He started the season on fire, including a legendary debut against Pittsburgh where he went 25-of-27. The Very Poor Game: Against a disciplined Boston College team a few weeks later, Winston looked entirely human, struggling with his accuracy, throwing his first career interceptions, and posting his lowest passer rating of the season. The Rest of the Year: Winston bounced back immediately. He dominated the rest of the schedule—including a historic blowout of No. 3 Clemson—leading Florida State to an undefeated season and a National Championship while winning the Heisman Trophy. 2. Stetson Bennett (2021, Georgia) Stetson Bennett’s championship journey featured a massive early-season stumble that he rode all the way to glory: The Great Game: Filling in early in the season, Bennett had historic games, including a 5-touchdown performance against UAB. The Very Poor Game: In the SEC Championship game against Alabama, Bennett threw two costly interceptions (including a pick-six) and struggled mightily under pressure as Georgia was blown out. The Rest of the Year: Instead of letting the poor performance ruin his season, Bennett reset for the College Football Playoff. He played nearly flawless football in the Orange Bowl against Michigan and followed it up with a spectacular, clutch fourth-quarter performance in the National Championship rematch against Alabama to win the title. Common Reasons for This Pattern When a quarterback experiences this specific rhythm, it is usually due to: The "Blueprint" Effect: After a quarterback plays great, an opposing defensive coordinator finds a specific weakness and builds a blueprint to exploit it, causing a terrible game. Adjustments and Coaching: Elite coaching staffs use that poor game as a teaching tool to correct the quarterback's mechanics or decision-making, setting them up for a sustained run of success. But do we have the right coach to correct the flaws Dylan showed against UCLA, and does he have the tools to have them corrected? That written, I still think there are flaws in Riolá's game - floating passes and being immobile, along with our poor blocking for him. And I should note, I think Riola's recent performance was likely not as good as the poor performances by Winston or Bennett. So what should be done Saturday? Perhaps start Riola, and if he looks bad in the first two possessions, switch to Thomas.

Why? Has he shown much promise? I missed the spring game.

While mid-season coaching changes are often an act of desperation, several notable college football programs have successfully turned their seasons around by switching offensive coordinators or play-callers midway through the year. 1. Boise State Broncos (2022) The Change: Following a historic and sluggish 27-10 upset loss to UTEP in Week 4, Boise State fired offensive coordinator Tim Plough. Head coach Andy Avalos elevated former NFL and college head coach Dirk Koetter from analyst to interim offensive coordinator. The Improvement: The transformation was immediate. Koetter completely restructured the offensive approach, leaning heavily into a power-running identity and starting dynamic freshman quarterback Taylen Green. Prior to the change, the Broncos ranked 106th in the country in rushing (120.2 yards per game). Under Koetter, that metric jumped significantly as the team vaulted 40 spots in the national rankings. Boise State rattled off wins in seven of their next eight games, went undefeated in regular-season Mountain West play (8-0), and capped the turnaround with a 35-32 victory over North Texas in the Frisco Bowl. 2. Wisconsin Badgers (2012) The Change: Just two games into the 2012 season—and following a highly scrutinized, uncharacteristic performance against Oregon State where the offense generated only 7 points—head coach Bret Bielema fired offensive line coach and co-offensive planner Mike Markuson. The Improvement: The decision directly impacted the team's identity. Matt Canada took full control of the play-calling parameters and simplified the blocking assignments. The offensive line play dramatically improved overnight. The rushing attack—featuring a historic backfield of Montee Ball, James White, and Melvin Gordon—unlocked its full potential. The mid-season course correction allowed Wisconsin to secure a spot in the Big Ten Championship game, where they completely dominated Nebraska 70-31 to secure a Rose Bowl berth. 3. California Golden Bears (2026) The Change: Stagnating heavily with an offense averaging just 18.3 points against FBS opponents, Cal head coach Tosh Lupoi executed a sudden mid-game change at halftime during their matchup against UNLV. Lupoi stripped offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville of play-calling duties and promoted passing game coordinator Pat McCann into the live role. The Improvement: While the change occurred in a tight loss to the Rebels, the strategic adjustment quickly allowed quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and the rest of the unit to work out of a more balanced scheme, sparking immediate improvements in drive efficiency and playbook variance during the subsequent weeks of the season.

It ws my greatest concern pre-season, and it is worse than I feared.

On another site, a knowledgeable poster wrote that it has to be Raiola, and that yesterday was not enough for Thomas to start instead, and noted that Thomas' proven record was insufficient. It wasn't Thomas' first rodeo. Thomas stepped in as the backup quarterback after Dante Moore was injured, leading the Ducks to a 21-7 victory. He completed 4 of 4 passes for 46 yards and one touchdown in that game. Yesterday, he completed 11/15 when he came in and when they knew we had to throw. Riaola's scoring drive was half a yard. Dylan Raiola completed 6 of 19 passes for 43 yards, with 0 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, and he also lost a fumble before being benched in the fourth quarter during the game against UCLA. George Wrightser noted Raiola throws what he called subway sandwiches, and I call balloons. Wrightser noted that he isn't afraid. That might sound like a good quality, but he should be afraid of throwing soft, arching passes that are easy to defend, and he was inaccurate as well yesterday. The Nebraska fans told us what we were getting. I was very optimistic after the USC game, but there were warning signs. The long TD pass to Dakorien was floated high and short of the open Moore, who saw that before the USC player and went back for it. Wrightser said that he had not been enthused about Raiola coming to Oregon based on what he had seen at Nebraska. Combine all of that with the fact that he is slow and with an inadequate offensive line. Dante has poor pocket presence and escapability, but he isn't slow. Forget that. Raiola was a Five Star. His size, name, and high school. DB competition got him the stars. He shouldn't have been a five. I will wonder if Raiola starts whether the staff made that decision because they don't want to admit that they wasted big NIL money. Thomas is the better player.

I was there too, and dd that it was wet and cold.

Maybe the "bug" that I mentioned yesterday that purportably going around the team. If so, and Thomas isn't ill, put him in.

Put Thomas in.

The worst first half of offense in years.

Little hands Nico.

Super goal line stand by the Ducks. Best since Olshansky and Ngata and the boys stopped Stanford after a first-and-goal to go.

Yep - the Nebraska game will be a big challenge. Got to get past UCLA first. I hope our health is better than rumored today.

It is from another site that claims a source with inside information. Others have noted that Dan Lanning sounded like he was under the weather earlier in the week. I had something in late August that mostly drained my energy. Apparently that is what has been going around.