About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was a week of distractions for the Oregon football team in a season that's been full of them.
Offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer was fired after a lackluster loss to Illinois, another player was arrested , and it was announced that star quarterback Dante Moore won't play again this season due to injury.
The fanbase appeared to show its frustration by not filling Autzen Stadium – or the tailgate lots during pregame – on a cold but dry afternoon Oct. 31 for a game against No. 18 Northwestern.
Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr., left, and Oregon running back Jordon Davison warm up as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) Former Oregon football coach turned Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly walks the field as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart warms up as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) Oregon quarterback Akili Smith Jr. warms up as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola warms up as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) Oregon quarterback Brock Thomas warms up as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr. warms up as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) Oregon head coach Dan Lanning takes the field as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) Oregon assistant quarterbacks coach Jay Johnson, left, and quarterbacks coach Koa Ka’ai walk the field before the game as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola, left, talks with Oregon head coach Dan Lanning before the game as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) 1 / 10 Oregon football vs. Northwestern updates, score, how to watch Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr., left, and Oregon running back Jordon Davison warm up as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) 1 / 10 Oregon football vs. Northwestern updates, score, how to watch Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr., left, and Oregon running back Jordon Davison warm up as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) 2 / 10 See photos as Oregon football hosts Northwestern at Autzen Stadium Former Oregon football coach turned Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly walks the field as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) 3 / 10 See photos as Oregon football hosts Northwestern at Autzen Stadium Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart warms up as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) 4 / 10 See photos as Oregon football hosts Northwestern at Autzen Stadium Oregon quarterback Akili Smith Jr. warms up as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) 5 / 10 Oregon football vs. Northwestern final score, reaction to Ducks' win Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola warms up as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) 6 / 10 See photos as Oregon football hosts Northwestern at Autzen Stadium Oregon quarterback Brock Thomas warms up as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) 7 / 10 See photos as Oregon football hosts Northwestern at Autzen Stadium Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr. warms up as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) 8 / 10 See photos as Oregon football hosts Northwestern at Autzen Stadium Oregon head coach Dan Lanning takes the field as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) 9 / 10 See photos as Oregon football hosts Northwestern at Autzen Stadium Oregon assistant quarterbacks coach Jay Johnson, left, and quarterbacks coach Koa Ka’ai walk the field before the game as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) 10 / 10 See photos as Oregon football hosts Northwestern at Autzen Stadium Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola, left, talks with Oregon head coach Dan Lanning before the game as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard) Official attendance was 55,673, but anyone with eyes could see the empty rows around the top of the stadium.
The Ducks showed that while many are giving up on them, they're not giving up on themselves, rallying from a two-touchdown deficit to beat the Wildcats, 34-26.
Oregon (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten Conference), which trailed 20-6 in the second quarter and 20-13 at halftime, was led by beleaguered quarterback Dylan Raiola. Raiola threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns, including a pair to wide receiver Dakorien Moore, who had seven catches for 128 yards.
"I mean, let me tell you this has been a crazy season," said Raiola, who transferred from Nebraska in the offseason with the expectation of playing behind Dante Moore for a season. "The ups and downs, the in between. Like, I can't say enough of how proud I am of this team. The way they just show up every day and keep attacking. … They just fight for each other. It's pretty cool to see."
Raiola has been hot or cold – but rarely both – in the games he has played since Moore was injured against USC on Sept. 26. Saturday, he heated up as the game went on and found his groove in the second half.
Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola, walks off after the Ducks’ win as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. He actually looked really good on his final throw of the first half when he dropped a dime to Moore in the corner of the end zone for a 10-yard TD with 55 seconds left before halftime.
Raiola was 12 for 17 in the second half for 214 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown throw to tight end Jamari Johnson that cut the Ducks ' deficit to three points, 23-20, in the third quarter.
With 10:20 to play in the game and Oregon leading 27-23, Raiola delivered the dagger with a 75-yard bomb to Dakorien Moore, who caught the ball at the Northwestern 33 and went untouched into the end zone.
"I felt like the rhythm that we've been searching for showed up in big moments," Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. "I thought our quarterback played with a lot of confidence and was able to execute."
Raiola's last pass was also memorable as he casually flicked the ball over a pack of defenders to Johnson, who made a bobbling, 18-yard catch as he fell onto his backside on third-and-8. The play secured a first down and allowed the Ducks to kneel out the final 1:20 of the game.
"He made a big play, but I don't know if that was wide open," Lanning said with a wry smile. "It played out a little differently than we thought it would, but players make plays. We'll coach the moment. He told me as soon as he came off the field, 'I owe you one.' I know that was a little bit careless, but don't you love that a little bit as a coach?"
There wasn't much not to like about how Raiola and the Ducks performed in the second half, giving Oregon and its fans a positive ending to week that started out anything but.
"We weren't going to go down without swinging," Raiola said. "I think we kind of lost that a little bit. I don't think we completely lost it, but we got back to our DNA and I'm proud of our guys."
Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson celebrates a touchdown as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men's basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at chansen@registerguard.com.
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This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon football rallies past Northwestern after chaotic week
Source: Sports
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