Dan Lanning Drops Honest Response to Benching Dylan Raiola in Oregon's Loss

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning sent in quarterback Brock Thomas to replace Dylan Raiola after offensive struggles in the loss to the UCLA Bruins.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning | Darby Winter

Despite seven turnovers, going 1-for-12 on third downs and a first half that featured 58 yards of total offense, the No. 13 Oregon Ducks still found themselves in the game up until the final snap.

But a fumble after a 23-yard reception on the final play told the story of the game. The Ducks’ 17-15 loss and 3-2 record through six weeks put them in a position to need to win out to keep their College Football Playoff hopes intact.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks off the field after the Ducks loss as the Oregon Ducks host the UCLA Bruins on Oct. 10, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

A key storyline to the offensive struggles surrounded the play of backup quarterback Dylan Raiola. He started in place of Dante Moore, who is still recovering from a concussion sustained in the second quarter against the USC Trojans.

Raiola starred in that win at USC, throwing a pair of touchdowns. It was a complete 180 against the Bruins, with two interceptions, just 43 yards and 31.6 percent completion. Coach Dan Lanning pulled Raiola late in the second half, and Eugene native Brock Thomas finished the game.

“Yeah, I think that the best message for me would be go look at the film first and evaluate what that looks like,” Lanning said about the difference in Raiola’s last two games. “Anytime that you hold on the ball and you're not able to get rid of it on your first look, I think last week we were able to get to our first decision quite a bit.“

“There was some time that he was able to update the pass rush and create successful plays,” he added. “We weren't able to create that today, but you know, again, when you have 3rd-and-long situations, you're not successful with the run on early downs. It puts you a little bit behind the chains, but we'll have to evaluate what it looked like. Obviously, it wasn't good enough.”

Lanning addressed Thomas’ performance, where Moore is in his recovery and where the Ducks go from here during his postgame presser.

Everything Dan Lanning Said After UCLA

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field before the game as the Oregon Ducks host the UCLA Bruins on Oct. 10, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Opening Statement:

“Obviously, a disappointing result, you know. Always want to thank our fans for being outstanding. Obviously, UCLA played a good game, and never have been in a situation where we turned the ball over that much and still have an opportunity to have success there in the game.”

“But we weren't successful on offense in any phase tonight. You know, obviously didn't really get into a rhythm. weren't able to create success there, and everyone can say, 'Well, the defense played better or well enough at times.’ But you look back: the very first play of the game, you give up an explosive play that turned into three points that drive, and three points is the difference in this game.”

“So, we could have been better in all phases. You know, even though special teams had some good moments, we could be better there. You got to protect the ball, right? And you can coach it, and you can say it, but if it shows up, you're not coaching it well enough. You're not doing a good enough job there. We're atrocious on third down, right?”

“We didn't have any success on fourth down. Obviously, the very first touchdown, you could say, ‘Hey, go kick the extra point.’ You know, felt like there was a look that we felt comfortable with. Have to go back and watch it and see why it wasn't there.”

“But that could have been the difference in the game as well. So that's a decision that falls on me. You know, that all being said, there's opportunities all the way down to the end, even with the defense getting a stop there again in the fourth quarter, where you have a chance to have the ball and have success and be able to move it down the field. But we just weren't able to do that well tonight.”

The Message to Donors After Disappointing Results:

“Yeah, my message to everyone that supports this program is I promise that we're working extremely hard. You know, their support is appreciated, right? Their support doesn't guarantee results, just like hard work doesn't guarantee results. We got to be better. We got to be. We got to find a way to be successful.”

“You know, I think you'll see before the season's over that UCLA has a really good team, right? Support doesn't just lead to wins, right? There has to be a translation there in the way that you coach and the success that you have on the field. We didn't do that.”

“We didn't do a good enough job tonight. Now, it also points to our history. I think we've had a lot of success here for a long time for good reason. We haven't been in this situation very much, and that's credit to our players and the job that they do.”

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, left, talks with UCLA head coach Bob Chesney before the game as the Oregon Ducks host the UCLA Bruins on Oct. 10, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“But we can do better, you know. Again, to be in that game when you really have no business being in that game, with the amount of turnovers that we had, you know, I think that speaks a little bit to the resiliency that we have and the ability that we have to have some success. So there's not a lot of bright spots in a moment like that.”

“The bright spots are that we get an opportunity to improve, right? And our team did keep fighting, you know, even though the result didn't obviously finish the way that we wanted.”

Why the Team Doesn’t Look Prepared for the Big Moments:

“Yeah, I don't know the answer. Why has it been not great? Because I think there's been moments and there's been glimpses of where it's got a chance to be really successful. I think that's a good team, again, that we just played, that we were in a battle there all the way down to the last series.”

“I felt like this was going to be the game based on our prep, where all three phases really came together, and obviously it didn't with offense today. It's all come together for us quite a bit in the past. It hasn't so far this year. We got to continue to figure out what that looks like.”

Trend in Losing After the Bye Weeks:

“Yeah, we're worth evaluating, but I would say in each one of those situations, we've done different stuff each by week and different ways to prepare. So, I thought our prep again was good, and obviously it wasn't good enough, right?”

“Going into this game because we didn't have success. I think we're going to lose the call sheet and say, ‘Hey, there's some stuff that we should have gotten to quicker.’ Be able to utilize it.”

Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr., right, carries the ball as UCLA defensive back Tao Johnson pursues as the Oregon Ducks host the UCLA Bruins on Oct. 10, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“We started to have some success there with some of our two-back run game with Koloi in the backfield during the second half, and then we have a turnover, right? Ultimately, protecting the ball is what you're going to look back and see this game, you can't turn the ball over and give a short field to your defense repeatedly, and that happened multiple times.”

“That if those things don't happen, which they did, so you can't say that they didn't. But we were playing well enough on special teams, well enough on defense, that we make these guys go along field, that we have a better opportunity. But you can't just turn the ball over at midfield.”

Going for the Two-Point Conversion

“Yeah, I mean, if they have five guys to the left, it's a play that's going to be successful. The official stood over the ball longer and anticipated.”

“There's some other places that you know fall into it, but it was a look that we've been practicing for a long time and had success running. It didn't work today, so obviously it's a bad it's a bad decision.”

Dante Moore’s Availability and Brock Thomas’ Spot on the Depth Chart:

“Well, it'd be worth evaluating regardless. It'd be too early to make a decision there, but have to go back, evaluate the film, evaluate practice, and see what it looks like, and then see where Dante's at.”

Boos From the Home Crowd:

“In the moment, you're not really locked into that. You don't feel that, but our fans deserve the best. They pack this place consistently, week in and week out. They've been unbelievable for us, and they want a better product than what was on the field today. They certainly deserve it.”

The Challenge of Winning Out:

Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola pitches the ball as the Oregon Ducks host the UCLA Bruins on Oct. 10, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“We're fighting an uphill battle now, right? And it's again, you can't look 10 weeks ahead. You have to look at what's in front of us right now. We don't control our destiny anymore, right? It's not necessarily just up to us, but we do control how we respond. It's very similar to what I just told our players in the locker room, right?”

“There's defining moments in a man's life, and how you respond. The way that I'm going to respond to this is really important to me because I want my three boys to see how do I handle this moment, right? I want our team to see, how do I handle this moment.”

“It's really easy to fold up. It's really easy to separate, not be tight and connected in these moments. You know, that's not going to be my response. I want our players to see that. But all we control right now is what's in front of us, how we respond tomorrow, how we respond tonight, as we go back and evaluate it, and what's next. You can't worry about 10 weeks down the road. You got to control what's in front of you right now.”

Evaluating the Offensive Play Calling and Potential Changes:

“I have to definitely evaluate the game first. Go back and look at it. We didn't have success on offense, so I think you have to look at all things. Right? You have to look at all things. Was it the calls? Was it the way we operated in practice? Certainly, wasn't the way we operate in the games. But everything has to be up for evaluation.”

Why He Didn’t Go to Brock Thomas Sooner:

Oct 10, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Brock Thomas (12) makes a pass during the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, probably a fair question. You know, in the moment, I think every one of us on offense has said that like this is the moment to do it. It didn't necessarily feel like it was before that, you know, but certainly after the last turnover, it was like, hey, we got to put somebody in there that's going to go have success.”

“And Brock went in and operated well. You can always go back and say, hey, we should have done that earlier. If you knew that turnover was coming, you would have done that earlier, right? We felt like that's a play that we've seen Dylan make a lot in practice, and didn't make that play today.”

Continuing Motivation as National Championship Contenders:

“Yeah, that's not the motivation right now. The motivation right now is for us to get better, right? And again, those are awesome goals to have. But we're not in the situation where we get to say that's a goal for us right now.”

“The goal for us right now is to continue to improve and get better. We had a tough, tough game today that we weren't successful in, and again, came down to some of the last minutes of that game. But the goal for us is to improve. And what does that look like next week? It's about next week. It's about improving and being better next week.”

Whether the Offensive Line is Ready to Play at This Level:

Oregon offensive lineman Iapani Laloulu, center, leads the offensive linemen onto the field as the Oregon Ducks host the Portland State Vikings on Sept. 18, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, I don't know. I mean, in moments, we looked really good against a USC team a week ago, and we're able to run the ball effectively at times. I think there's a compilation of things that happen, you know, in this game. One, they had a good plan. Our plan wasn't as good. That's part of it.”

“Our players have to play better. We have to coach better. I think that's part of it. I think we all knew that it wasn't going to be the same experience to the line that we had this past year, but we felt comfortable.”

“If you look at the history of us developing there, that position and what it's become over time, it's always gotten better towards the end of the season, and it's improved. We've always been one of the better teams in protecting the quarterback. It hasn't been good enough this year. And running the ball, we haven't been as effective this year. All those things tied together.”

“Your passing game complements your run game, right? Your run game complements your pass game and your ability to protect your quarterback. I think we have to look at all that stuff really critically and make sure that we can continue to improve. But the guys we have right now, the guys we have, I love the guys we have in that room. We have to coach them better and give them an opportunity to have success in the field.”

“Then they have to be critical themselves too. They have to look at it and say, okay, where am I not good enough? Where can I improve? I think we have guys that are self-aware, and if they can attack that, then we can have a better product.”

Message to Quarterback Dylan Raiola:

Darby Winter

“Yeah, I want to go find him right after this meeting, right? 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 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 that he needs to have. We need the best version of Dylan moving forward. Two weeks ago, he was phenomenal, right? And earlier this year, I think he's received a lot of praise.”

“And I think what you always got to recognize is there's going to be a lot of praise in moments, and there's going to be some negative moments, and probably neither one of them are true, right?”

Oregon quarterbacks coach Koa Ka'ai, left, talks to quarterback Dylan Raiola during warmups as the Oregon Ducks host the UCLA Bruins on Oct. 10, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“You know, early in the year we identified some throws that hey, that throw worked here, but does it really work when you go play a team that's really comparable and a talented team? And you know, we didn't get some of those things fixed, and that showed up today.”

“But 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 be better, and give him some of his confidence back.

“Because certainly he's lost some of that today. If he pays too much attention to the news, he's going to lose some more of that, right? If he just goes out there and works and focuses on improvement, then he's got a chance that he can continue to become a good player.”

The Leadership of the Team:

“Yeah, it's about to it's about to reveal itself. You know, again, just in that locker room, I felt a group that knows what's in front of them, knows what they want to attack. I think that they understand that. We still got to hear some more vocal leadership showed up, but again, I didn't see that on the sideline today.”

“Moments of lack of leadership was disappointed to see the ball on the ground and not see us attack it with a vengeance at times on offense. That's got to be something that shows up. I think that's true to your traits of who you are.”

“I think later in the game you saw some more of those moments where guys were really aggressive to the ball. We can't play or freeze in those moments, but as far as the voice and the people showing up, I thought we had leadership on the sideline. Thought we just had leadership in the locker room that I was just in, but it's got to continue to grow.”

If There’s a Chance of Shutting Down Dante Moore This Season:

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, left, greets Oregon offensive lineman Dave Iuli as the Oregon Ducks host the UCLA Bruins on Oct. 10, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“It's a continued discussion. I don't want to put words in my mouth, or Dante's, on that. Something we've said from the beginning is that we're going to move with an abundance of caution, continue to get eval and check, but it won't be just a sprint, just to say, 'Okay, he's back out there no matter what.'”

“We'll continue to have those conversations. He's been practicing with his team. You know, I anticipate that there's going to be an opportunity for him to be back out there, but it’d be unfair for me to say that right now.”

Quarterback Brock Thomas’ Performance:

“Yeah, I think showed up when his number was called, waited for his opportunity. You know, there's going to be some things that he did really well in this game. I'm sure there's going to be some moments for growth for him, but he works extremely hard.”

“There's a reason we put him in that situation. I thought he operated well when he had those moments. Continue to go evaluate the film, but I'm not surprised about what Brock was able to do when he did go in.”

Dante Moore’s Leadership on the Sideline:

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore walks off after the Ducks loss as Moore was benched following an injury as the Oregon Ducks host the UCLA Bruins on Oct. 10, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“I wasn't focused on that. Didn't see that specifically. I saw him talking to players continually. I saw him on the sideline and engaged. But again, I wasn't focused on that in detail.”

What UCLA’s Secondary Did Successfully:

“I think there was a lot of contact in the secondary. They were doing a good job getting hands on early and covering up guys. But again, I'll have to go evaluate the film. They played a lot of out-of-coverage at times into the boundary, which is expected. There were times they were doubling our wideouts on that note.”

“When you when that happens, you got to be able to run the ball effectively, and we didn't do that today. You know, I think we only rushed for 73 yards. That's not been our formula to win here. We've always been a team that could run the ball to win, and we didn't do that today.”

Cleaning Up Penalties:

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning watches his final kickoff bounce down the sideline as the Oregon Ducks host the UCLA Bruins on Oct. 10, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“A’Mauri (Washington’s) is extremely frustrating. Matayo (Uiagalelei) jumped offsides intentionally for us. It was 2nd-and-1, so we told him, you know, we're going to move; try to get them to jump. If they don't jump, jump offsides intentionally.”

“It's going to be first down, but it gives us 10 yards to play with to get the stop. So that situation played out exactly like we wanted it to play out. A'Mauri's is really frustrating. He's a guy that plays with great passion. I think he probably had some really positive plays today in today's game, but that's one where your passion has to show up between the whistles, not post-whistle.”

“I think we all know that he didn't mean that in any way, shape, or form, other than frustration with himself that did end up with an interception. But it cost us 15 yards in that moment. I think we still were able to turn it into a stop, but you know it's frustrating for sure in that moment.”

Safety Aaron Flowers’ Injury:

“Yeah, shoulder injury. We'll see what it continues to look like. Don't know if we'll have him back or not. Gonna make sure he does what's best for him.”

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