Seven turnovers, and a coach who stood by his quarterback.
Too soon, and we are still mad. UCLA 17, Oregon 15: the defense took the ball away three times and blocked a field goal, the offense gave it back seven times, and Dan Lanning showed his team how to answer.
We are not over this one, and we are not going to pretend we are. Oregon gave the ball away seven times at Autzen and lost by two. But read what happened after the game first, because it is the part worth keeping. Dan Lanning said how you respond is a defining moment, and then said he was going straight to find Dylan Raiola, because "he needs to know that I share some of that performance today." Raiola faced the cameras and owned it. A defense that held UCLA to 17 said 17 was too many. Brock Thomas, the Eugene kid, came in down 17-6 and threw the touchdown that made it a game. Below that is how Oregon lost, snap by snap, and why we think the play-caller has to change.
The play: Down 17-15 after Brock Thomas hit Evan Stewart for 44 yards with 2:16 left, Oregon went for two. Thomas was stopped, a UCLA face mask moved the ball to the 1, and Jordon Davison was stopped on the retry. Oregon never got another real shot: its last drive started at its own 5 with 48 seconds left and ended in a lateral fumble at the UCLA 33.
How Oregon answered
Start here, because this is the part we want to remember.
After the game, Dan Lanning said this. "There's defining moments in a man's life, and how you respond," he said. "The way that I'm going to respond to this is really important to me." The reason: "I want my three boys to see how do I handle this moment, right?" And the warning to his own team: "It's really easy to fold up. It's really easy to separate, not be tight and connected in these moments." (GoDucks postgame press conference; SI, Lily Crane, Oct 10, 2026.)
Asked about Raiola, Dan Lanning did not hang his quarterback out to dry.
"I want to go find him right after this meeting, right?" Lanning said. "Because I know everyone here, they'll have a lot of things to say about his performance, and ultimately he needs to know that I share some of that performance today."
He was honest about the game and protective of the player in the same breath: "He has to know that we have a team here that's here to support him. We have a coaching staff that's here to support him and just wants to see him continue to improve and get better and give him some confidence back. Certainly he's lost some of that today, and if he pays too much attention to the news he's going to lose some more of that."
We can be furious about the offense and still be proud that our coach's first instinct after a loss like this was to go find his quarterback. (On3, Thomas Goldkamp, Oct 10, 2026.)
Then Raiola did something a lot of players would not after a night like that: he chose to face the media. Asked why, he said: "this isn't just football, this is life." And: "tough situations happen, and you gotta own them. There's no running around them, there's no dodging them." And: "So I gotta own everything, take it on the chin, and move forward." (SI, Bri Amaranthus, Oct 10, 2026.) We will be blunt about his game below. This is the person, and the person handled it.
Lanning's last word on him: "If he just goes out there and works and focuses on improvement then he's got a chance to become a good player." Hear it from them: Lanning, Raiola, Brock Thomas, and Koi Perich with Teitum Tuioti are right below (GoDucks). Every UCLA week video.
Sometimes it is not about football. It is about how you stand up when it goes wrong in front of everyone you know. On that, Oregon answered. Who he is off the field, from the Stallings Award to the Stomp Out Cancer uniforms, is on our Dan Lanning page.
The defense deserved a win
This is the part that hurts most. Chris Hampton's defense held UCLA to 17 points while the offense gave UCLA the ball seven times, three of them in Oregon territory.
They forced three turnovers: Koi Perich recovered Iamaleava's fumble at the UCLA 1, then picked him off in the end zone; Jerry Mixon intercepted him at the Oregon 38. Matayo Uiagalelei blocked a 27-yard field goal and had two sacks. They stopped UCLA on fourth down. UCLA went 4 of 16 on third down. UCLA's only points that did not follow an Oregon turnover were a 21-yard field goal on the opening drive.
That is a championship-level defensive performance wasted.
And the defense still was not satisfied. "Seventeen points is too much for us; our standard is 13 points or less," linebacker Teitum Tuioti said. "So us as a defense has to do better." (Lookout Eugene-Springfield, Lindsay Schnell, Oct 10, 2026.) That is a unit that held UCLA to 17 while its offense turned it over seven times, holding itself to a higher standard anyway. That is the Oregon we know.
Studs
Koi Perich: 11 tackles, the most on the team, the fumble recovery at the UCLA 1 and an interception in the end zone.
Matayo Uiagalelei: 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss and a blocked field goal.
Jerry Mixon: 8 tackles and an interception.
Teitum Tuioti and Devon Jackson: 8 and 7 tackles, and Jackson was credited with a quarterback hurry.
Brock Thomas: 11 of 15 for 156 yards and the 44-yard touchdown to Stewart, in relief. A Eugene kid and a third-generation Duck who came off the bench down 17-6 and gave Oregon the chance it had not had for three quarters. He did everything he could.
Dakorien Moore: 4 catches, 77 yards, including the 36-yarder that set up the field goal.
Gage Hurych: 1 of 1 on field goals.
Video: Big Ten Football
Every way Oregon lost this game
We went through the official play-by-play snap by snap. This is the list.
Seven turnovers, one by one. Five lost fumbles and two interceptions, in order:
1. Second quarter, 12:48. Oregon up 6-3 near the UCLA 15. Jordon Davison fumbles at the 17. UCLA punts, but a chance to go up two scores is gone.
2. Second quarter, 10:29. Third-and-3 at the UCLA 43. Dylan Raiola is sacked and fumbles. Four plays later Wayne Knight runs 35 yards for a touchdown. UCLA 10, Oregon 6.
3. Second quarter, 1:05. Jerry Mixon has just intercepted Nico Iamaleava. On Oregon’s third play, Raiola throws it right back. Koi Perich has to pick off Iamaleava in the end zone to keep it 10-6 at halftime.
4. Third quarter, 6:40. Evan Stewart catches a short pass and fumbles at the Oregon 31. The defense stops UCLA on fourth down.
5. Third quarter, 1:31. Raiola is intercepted at the Oregon 33. Six plays later, with UCLA’s backup quarterback, it is 17-6. That was Raiola’s last series.
6. Fourth quarter, 11:30. Brock Thomas’s first drive reaches the UCLA 45. On fourth-and-1, he fumbles. UCLA punts.
7. Fourth quarter, 0:04. Down two, from the Oregon 37, Thomas finds Stewart, who laterals to Jamari Johnson, who loses it at the UCLA 33. Game over.
The seventh ended the game. Of the other six, the defense held UCLA scoreless after four.
Fourteen points handed over. Both UCLA touchdowns came on the drive right after a Raiola turnover, and those drives had to go only 51 and 33 yards.
1 of 12 on third down. Most of them were third-and-long: by our count of the play-by-play, nine needed 7 yards or more. Oregon was losing first and second down before it ever got to third.
No running game. 73 yards on 27 carries, 2.7 a carry. By our count, of the 25 designed runs, 9 went for no gain or a loss and 15 went for 2 yards or less.
47 minutes and 41 seconds without a point. From 7:57 of the first quarter to 5:16 of the fourth.
Two failed two-point tries. The first came in the first quarter, at 6-3, with Brock Thomas running it. Stopped. Take the point. The second came after the late touchdown: Thomas was stopped, UCLA was flagged for a face mask, and from the 1 Oregon handed it to Davison behind a line that had not moved anyone all day. Stopped.
Gifts left on the field. UCLA was flagged nine times for 78 yards. Two personal fouls on one fourth-quarter drive, a face mask and a roughing the passer, put Oregon at first-and-goal from the 10. It kicked a 26-yard field goal. UCLA fumbled at its own 1, threw two interceptions, had a field goal blocked and turned it over on downs. Oregon turned all of that into 6 points.
The ball. 20 minutes and 45 seconds of possession against UCLA's 39:15.
Video: CBS Sports
It is time for a new play-caller
*Update, Oct 25, 2026: Oregon relieved Drew Mehringer of his duties as offensive coordinator the morning after the Illinois loss (Oregon Athletics release). The section below is what this site wrote on Oct 10 and is left as written.*
*This section is The Quack Report's opinion.*
We think Oregon should move on from Drew Mehringer as offensive coordinator. We do not say that lightly, and it is not about him as a person. Oregon promoted him from inside the building, and he deserves credit for an offense that scored 34, 31, 84 and 41 in its first four games. But those numbers came with Dante Moore, and the job is to have a plan for the quarterback you actually have. Oregon had two weeks, including a bye, to build one for Raiola. What it got: 19 throws for 43 yards, a run game at 2.7 a carry, 1 of 12 on third down, and seven turnovers.
Listen to what Dan Lanning said afterward, because we think he is telling us the same thing. On Oregon's postgame radio broadcast he called the offense "a little out of control at times." On Raiola: "we didn't prepare him to be good enough today. We didn't put him in positions to have success he needs to have." Asked why Raiola was not pulled sooner: "that's probably a fair question." And asked whether he would consider a change in who calls the offensive plays, Lanning said "you have to evaluate all options." (Lookout Eugene-Springfield, Lindsay Schnell, Oct 10, 2026; On3, Thomas Goldkamp, Oct 10, 2026.)
That is not a coach declaring a change, and we will not pretend it is. Oregon has announced nothing. But when the head coach puts the preparation on the staff and leaves the play-caller question open, it is fair for fans to ask for the change out loud. We are asking.
Dylan Raiola's day
He was bad, and he said so himself: "I was reckless with the ball today, and you can't win football games like that" (Lookout Eugene-Springfield, Lindsay Schnell, Oct 10, 2026). Lanning agreed: "He wasn't good enough today, I think he can acknowledge that." Raiola did not put it on anyone else, either: "I thought we were prepared; I thought our coaches prepared us. And we lost." 6 of 19, 43 yards, two interceptions, a sack-fumble, and 2.3 yards per attempt. Lanning was asked why he did not go to Thomas sooner (On3); Raiola played the first three quarters and Thomas took over on Oregon's first drive of the fourth.
What the chart says about how: 17 of his 19 throws are charted short, with one deep attempt that counted and one more wiped out by a roughing penalty. So this was not a quarterback heaving it deep. It was short throws that did not get there clean: UCLA broke up six of them. The receivers barely had a chance to make a play, and he finished with six completions.
Lanning also said: "We need the best version of Dylan moving forward. Two weeks ago he was phenomenal." Both of those games happened. The next one decides which he is.
The offensive line
The line lost this game on the ground. 9 of 25 designed runs went for zero or worse; Davison averaged 3.2 a carry and Dierre Hill Jr. 4.4. On the two biggest short-yardage snaps of the day, fourth-and-1 at midfield and the two-point try from the 1, Oregon got nothing. Add a holding call on Ziyare Addison, another holding call UCLA declined, and two flags on the punt team.
In pass protection the official chart is less damning than it looked live: one sack and two hurries charted against Raiola. But the one sack was a fumble on third-and-3 at the UCLA 43 that set up UCLA's first touchdown. You do not get to give up one.
Duds
The offensive game plan. See above.
Dylan Raiola: 6 of 19, 43 yards, 2 interceptions and a lost fumble. Three of Oregon's seven turnovers.
The run game: 73 yards. Jordon Davison scored and fumbled in the red zone; 13 carries for 41.
Ball security, everyone: Stewart (74 yards and the touchdown, and a lost fumble), Thomas and Davison all put it on the ground.
The two-point calls: 0 for 2, in a game decided by two.
UCLA was there for the taking, and UCLA took it
Credit where it is due. UCLA came into Autzen, lost its starting quarterback at halftime, and won anyway. Its defense recovered five fumbles and intercepted two passes, held Oregon to 1 of 12 on third down and 73 rushing yards, and kept the ball for 39 minutes and 15 seconds. Wayne Knight ran for 103 yards and scored both touchdowns, one on a 35-yard run and one on a catch from backup Ty Dieffenbach. Bob Chesney is 5-0 in his first season. UCLA did not play a clean game, but it made the plays it had to make in our building, and a win at Autzen is a win at Autzen.
Nico Iamaleava went down with 32 seconds left in the first half, came back for one play and threw the end-zone interception to Perich, and did not play the second half (On3; Sports Illustrated). UCLA played the last two quarters with backup Ty Dieffenbach. Against him Oregon scored 9 points, all in the final 5:16.
One thing we will not skip, since we did not skip it at USC: Iamaleava was hurt on a tackle by Bear Alexander and Jerry Mixon, and a clip that went viral afterward appears to show Alexander striking him at the bottom of the pile. There was no flag. Sports Illustrated reports the Big Ten could review it for sportsmanship; nothing has been announced. We will report what the conference does.
What the country is saying
Nationally, this was read as UCLA arriving. Around here, it reads as Oregon letting it happen. Both are true.
CBS Sports (David Cobb) gives Oregon a 19.9% chance of making the College Football Playoff after the loss, and wrote that making it "would require running the table and going 7-0 down the stretch against a schedule that includes a road game against Ohio State on Nov. 7." Cobb also wrote that if Oregon could not come back, "Dan Lanning will have to answer for why he attempted a 2-point conversion in the first quarter," and noted that Oregon committed seven turnovers for the first time since 2004. UCLA's own odds went to 33.2%.
USA Today wrote that UCLA "put Oregon's playoff hopes on life support while launching its own into the stratosphere." Bob Chesney, on CBS after the game: "This is not the normal UCLA."
ESPN (Paolo Uggetti) led with Lanning promising to review the whole offense: "Everything has to be up for evaluation." SI (Lily Crane) led with him taking a call on himself: "That's a decision that falls on me." And on CBS, rules analyst Gene Steratore said of the spot on Oregon's late two-point try, "There was a mistake" (CBS Sports College Football video, Oct 10, 2026, below, next to UCLA coach Bob Chesney's postgame).
We will say it plainly: the country is right about the math and right about UCLA. Where we push back is the idea that this is who Oregon is. The defense that held UCLA to 17 is real. The offense that gave the ball away seven times has to be fixed, and fast. Sources: CBS Sports live coverage (David Cobb, Oct 10, 2026); USA Today (Oct 10, 2026).
Where this leaves the season
We are not going to sell you comfort, and we are not going to be the guy who pretends this is fine. Losing at home to a team playing its backup quarterback, after it turned the ball over three times and drew nine flags, is the kind of result that ends seasons. The loss left Oregon 3-2 and 1-1 in the Big Ten.
We also have to say the hard part: maybe this team is not as good as we gave it credit for. We picked Oregon by 15. The offense has now scored 15 points against UCLA and 31 in a loss at Oklahoma State.
Here is the honest version of hope. Our read is that Oregon probably has to win out, every game left, to stay in the playoff conversation, and CBS Sports' forecaster agrees: a 19.9% chance, and it takes 7-0. That starts with getting Dante Moore back, and Oregon has given no return date for his concussion (his status is on the injury tracker). It runs through Nebraska, Illinois on the road and Northwestern, and then Ohio State in Columbus on Nov 7. Beat Ohio State there and two losses read very differently. Lose any of them and the conversation is over.
The defense is good enough to make that run. The question is whether the offense is. It starts with Nebraska at Autzen on Oct 17.
Our call, graded
We said Oregon 28, UCLA 13, revised down from 41-14 on Sept 27. We had the UCLA number right and the Oregon number badly wrong, and we had the winner wrong.
By the numbers
| Stat | Oregon | UCLA |
|---|---|---|
| Final | 15 | 17 |
| Total yards | 272 | 345 |
| Rushing yards | 73 | 140 |
| Third down | 1 of 12 | 4 of 16 |
| Fourth down | 0 of 2 | 0 of 1 |
| Turnovers | 7 | 3 |
| Penalties | 5-45 | 9-78 |
| Possession | 20:45 | 39:15 |
The takeaway: Fourteen of UCLA's 17 points came on drives that started right after an Oregon turnover, and Oregon went 47 minutes and 41 seconds of game clock without scoring, from Davison's touchdown at 7:57 of the first quarter to Gage Hurych's field goal at 5:16 of the fourth. That is the game.
How it was scored
- UCLA 3-0, Mateen Bhaghani 21-yard field goal (1Q 10:47)
- Oregon 6-3, Jordon Davison 1-yard run after Koi Perich recovered Nico Iamaleava's fumble at the UCLA 1; the two-point try failed (1Q 7:57)
- UCLA 10-6, Wayne Knight 35-yard run, four plays after Raiola was sacked and fumbled at the UCLA 49 (2Q 8:08)
- UCLA 17-6, Ty Dieffenbach 9-yard pass to Knight, six plays after Raiola's second interception at the Oregon 33 (4Q 13:31)
- UCLA 17-9, Gage Hurych 26-yard field goal (4Q 5:16)
- UCLA 17-15, Brock Thomas 44-yard pass to Evan Stewart; the two-point try failed twice, once wiped out by a UCLA face mask (4Q 2:16)
- Oregon's first game with seven turnovers since 2004 (CBS Sports, Oct 10, 2026).
- Oregon's first home loss of 2026, after Boise State and Portland State.
- Oregon was shut out for 47:41 of game clock, from 7:57 of the first quarter to 5:16 of the fourth.
Sources (12)
Pregame analysis, written before kickoff
Extremely well-coached team. You got two coordinators that were with him before... They're running the ball as well as anybody in college football.Dan Lanning
What Oregon wore: Origin of Speed
Oregon debuted "The Origin of Speed," the last uniform in its "Generation O" series, against UCLA at Autzen on Oct 10. It is built around Hayward Field, the birthplace of Oregon football.
- The base is "Night Forest," Nike's darkest green. The numerals debut a new shade, "Green Strike," inspired by the seating at Hayward Field at the suggestion of receiver Jeremiah McClellan.
- The fourth and fifth lanes are set off in different colors, a tribute to two Ducks who wore those numbers and passed away in recent years, Spencer Webb and Khyree Jackson.
- The "kinetic wings" on the helmet and shoulders are angled at 26.2 degrees, the length of a marathon, a nod to Nike's roots in distance running.
Design deep dive (video) · Photo gallery (GoDucks) · Source: GoDucks.com (Sept 29, 2026)
What we said before kickoff Matchups, the UCLA scouting report and the players we were watching, left up as written.
Key Matchups
UCLA in 2026
No. 7 UCLA in the AP Top 25 (week 9, published October 25, 2026). Full Top 25 and where Oregon sits →
UCLA came to Autzen 4-0 and 2-0 in the Big Ten, its first 4-0 start since 2022: 45-24 at California (Sept 5), 28-10 over San Diego State, 52-38 over Purdue and 54-3 at Maryland (Sept 26). The caveat: none of the four made the Playoff last season, and Oregon is the first 2025 Playoff team UCLA sees. Receiver Mikey Matthews is reported out for the season after foot surgery (247Sports, On3, Yahoo, SI, Sept 21 to 22). UCLA's first availability report for Oregon, filed Wednesday, Oct 7, listed safety Tao Johnson QUESTIONABLE after he missed three games; Thursday's moved him to PROBABLE, and Friday's left him off, which under Big Ten rules means available. Matthews, receiver Jonah Smith and lineman Sam Yoon are OUT, defensive lineman Ashton Sanders DOUBTFUL (Big Ten availability reports, Oct 7, 8 and 9).
How we thought UCLA could win, before kickoff
Lanning's scouting report holds up in the box scores: UCLA runs it, takes it away and finishes. Our read: that is the same formula Indiana rode last year.
| What they do | UCLA, through Sept 26 (4 games) |
|---|---|
| Runs the ball | 7.0 yards a carry: 1,126 yards on 162 carries |
| Wayne Knight | 445 yards and 9 touchdowns on 49 carries |
| Takes it away | +8 turnover margin: 12 takeaways, 4 giveaways |
| Finishes | 76-17 in fourth quarters |
| Third down | UCLA 50% (23 of 46); opponents 30% (17 of 57) |
| Stops the run | 2.7 yards a carry allowed: 365 yards on 136 carries |
Where it cracks: The deep ball. Opponents have 15 pass plays of 20 or more yards against UCLA in four games, and Purdue threw for 425. Our read: whoever wins the explosive-play battle probably wins the game.
Our count from the ESPN box score and ESPN play-by-play of each of UCLA's four games (California, San Diego State, Purdue, Maryland), through Sept 26, 2026. Quotes: Dan Lanning press conference, Sept 30, 2026 (GoDucks video).
UCLA Snapshot
Head Coach: Bob Chesney
All-time series: 33-41 (UCLA leads) Oregon and UCLA game notes (Oct 6, 2026)
Both schools count results on the field. Winsipedia credits Oregon with UCLA's 1976 and 1977 wins, which UCLA forfeited, and lists the series 35-39 after the Oct 10, 2026 game.
By the Numbers, so far in 2026
Oregon: 7 games in 2026. UCLA: 7 games in 2026, per ESPN (through 2026-10-28).
What We Were Watching For
Written before kickoff. Left up as-is.
Ducks vs Them: UCLA
Watch the highlights, the pressers and the rest of Game 5 (36) →
The Call, graded: our Oregon vs UCLA score prediction
4 for 7 on winners, 23.3 points off a game.We got this one wrong. UCLA won it, and we had Oregon by 15.
We revised this call on Sept 27 from Oregon 41, UCLA 14. This is the one we are graded on.
How did you call it?
Pre-game analysis written before the game was played. Coach: Bob Chesney.
Frequently Asked Questions
Oregon lost to UCLA 17-15 on Saturday, Oct 10, 2026 at Autzen Stadium, Eugene. Oregon is 4-3.
UCLA won, 17-15. Oregon turned the ball over seven times and went 1 of 12 on third down; its defense forced three turnovers, blocked a field goal and held UCLA to 17 points (ESPN box score).
Down 17-15 after Brock Thomas hit Evan Stewart for 44 yards with 2:16 left, Oregon went for two.
UCLA won 17-15 at Autzen Stadium on Oct 10, 2026. Oregon turned it over seven times and went 1 of 12 on third down; UCLA is 5-0 and Oregon 3-2 (ESPN box score).
Raiola went 6 of 19 for 43 yards with two interceptions and lost a fumble on a sack. Brock Thomas replaced him on Oregon's first drive of the fourth quarter and went 11 of 15 for 156 yards and a touchdown. Dan Lanning said: "He wasn't good enough today, I think he can acknowledge that. But we didn't prepare him to be good enough today. We didn't put him in positions to have success he needs to have." (On3, Oct 10, 2026).
Seven: five lost fumbles and two interceptions (ESPN box score). UCLA scored 14 of its 17 points on drives that began right after an Oregon turnover.
Oregon has not said. The current statement is on the Dylan Raiola page and the injury tracker, which carries Dante Moore's status.
Both failed. In the first quarter, at 6-3, Brock Thomas ran the try and was stopped. After the touchdown that made it 17-15 with 2:16 left, Thomas was stopped, a UCLA face mask moved the ball to the 1, and Jordon Davison was stopped on the retry (Oregon official play-by-play).
Not immediately. Asked after the 17-15 loss whether he would consider a change in who calls the offensive plays, Dan Lanning said “you have to evaluate all options” (Lookout Eugene-Springfield, Oct 10, 2026). Fifteen days and two games later, on Oct 25, 2026, Oregon relieved Drew Mehringer of his duties (Oregon Athletics release). This site had called for the change after this game.
CBS Sports' forecaster gave Oregon a 19.9% chance of making the College Football Playoff after the 17-15 loss, and wrote that it would take going 7-0 the rest of the way, including at Ohio State on Nov 7 (CBS Sports, David Cobb, Oct 10, 2026).
Oregon plays Northwestern on Oct 31, 2026 at 12:30 PM PT on Peacock.
UCLA leads the all-time series 41-33 in 74 meetings. Through 2024, Oregon had won five straight: 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 34-13 in 2024. The rivalry dates back to 1928. Series record per both schools' game notes (Oct 6, 2026); Winsipedia counts two UCLA forfeits and lists 35-38. The five-game streak is independently confirmed against this site's own season archive.
UCLA is ranked No. 7 in the AP Top 25 (week 9). UCLA is 7-0 in 2026, most recently a 28-10 win over Michigan State Spartans, coached by Bob Chesney.
Seven turnovers, two failed two-point tries, a benching. Be honest: what hurt the most?
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