EUGENE, Ore. — Dylan Raiola returned to haunt his former team Saturday night, leading Oregon on a thrilling late-game comeback that ended with a 17-14 victory over Nebraska at Autzen Stadium.
Raiola, who spent the previous two seasons at Nebraska before transferring to Oregon during the offseason, entered the contest in the fourth quarter with the Ducks trailing 14-6. With the game on the line, the quarterback helped engineer a decisive finish, connecting with Jamari Johnson on a 4-yard touchdown pass with just 28 seconds remaining.
Oregon followed with a successful two-point conversion to complete the comeback and improve to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten play. Nebraska fell to 5-2 and 2-2 in conference competition.
The Ducks’ final possession nearly ended in heartbreak. Raiola initially appeared to find Dakorien Moore for a 4-yard touchdown with 33 seconds remaining, but officials overturned the call after reviewing the play. Rather than allowing the reversal to derail the drive, Raiola quickly regrouped and found Johnson in the back of the end zone for the game-winning score.
“Everyone was dialed in,” Raiola said of the closing drive. “We just kept preparing until the end and JJ had a cute little toe-drag touchdown to win the game.”
Raiola completed 11 of 18 passes for 59 yards in the fourth quarter, providing a spark to an Oregon offense that had struggled to establish any rhythm for much of the evening. His first possession produced a 37-yard field goal by Gage Hurych, cutting Nebraska’s advantage to 14-9 and setting the stage for the dramatic finish.
Oregon entered the game without starting quarterback Dante Moore, who remained sidelined with a concussion suffered during the Ducks’ 41-27 victory over USC on Sept. 26. Third-string quarterback Brock Thomas received the starting assignment but struggled to move the offense, completing nine of 20 passes for 54 yards with one interception.
Thomas was replaced by Raiola in the fourth quarter after Oregon had managed only 91 total yards offensively.
Ducks coach Dan Lanning praised Thomas for accepting the decision and putting the team’s needs ahead of his own opportunity.
“I just think that shows so much remarkable courage from a guy like that to be in that situation,” Lanning said, describing Thomas’ willingness to support the change. “Hey, I’m good with it. Let’s do whatever we got to do to win.”
While Oregon found its way to a victory, Nebraska once again watched a fourth-quarter lead slip away. The Cornhuskers suffered a similar disappointment the previous weekend, falling 20-17 to Indiana after surrendering their advantage late in the game.
Quarterback Anthony Colandrea completed 18 of 33 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown while adding 33 yards and another score on the ground. His performance helped Nebraska build a lead, but the offense could not produce the necessary points to hold off Oregon’s late surge.
The contest began as a defensive struggle, with neither team reaching the end zone until the closing minutes of the second quarter. Colandrea broke the scoreless deadlock by finding Kwazi Gilmer in the back corner of the end zone, giving Nebraska the first breakthrough in a game dominated by punts and limited offensive production.
The teams combined for 13 punts in the first half, with each side also committing a turnover.
Nebraska extended its advantage late in the third quarter when Colandrea scrambled six yards and dove toward the pylon for a touchdown. The score pushed the Cornhuskers ahead 14-6 and left Oregon facing a difficult challenge heading into the final period.
The Ducks struggled to respond consistently. Three second-half possessions ended with field goals, including one opportunity aided by an unusual mistake involving a low snap to Nebraska punter Archie Wilson. Despite those openings, Oregon repeatedly failed to turn promising field position into touchdowns.
Raiola’s entrance ultimately changed the direction of the game, giving the Ducks the offensive lift they desperately needed.
Lanning acknowledged that Oregon’s performance fell short of expectations, particularly during the opening half, while emphasizing that the team had the talent to perform at a higher level.
“It wasn’t good enough in the first half,” Lanning said. “I’ll never make excuses. We have talented enough players for us to be better than we’ve been.”
Nebraska coach Matt Rhule was left to process another painful defeat after his team came close to securing a significant road victory. Rhule praised his defense for keeping Oregon in check despite difficult circumstances, but acknowledged that the unit eventually wore down as the Ducks continued to press.
“Obviously, we have a pretty devastated football team in there — a bunch of guys that showed up and competed,” Rhule said. “And, for the second week in a row, we just came up short.”
Rhule described the defensive effort as one of the better performances he had witnessed, noting that the unit repeatedly faced short fields and received little offensive support as the game progressed.
In the end, Oregon capitalized on its final opportunity, with Raiola delivering the decisive throw against the program he once represented. The late touchdown and successful two-point conversion transformed a frustrating night for the Ducks into a memorable comeback victory.
Up Next
Nebraska will return to action Oct. 31 with a road matchup against Washington.
Oregon heads to Illinois next Saturday, looking to build momentum after its dramatic conference victory.
