Raiola, Back at the Coliseum, Powers Oregon Past USC 41-27

Nearly a year after breaking his leg at the Coliseum while playing for Nebraska, Dylan Raiola relieved the injured Dante Moore and threw for 289 yards and two TDs as No. 16 Oregon beat USC 41-27.

Nearly a year after breaking his leg at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Dylan Raiola stood in that same stadium on Sept. 26 and helped No. 16 Oregon defeat No. 12 USC 41-27. The win came in the Ducks' first Big Ten game of the season and improved them to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

Raiola was Nebraska's quarterback on Nov. 1, 2025, when he suffered the leg injury during the second half of a matchup with USC and watched his season end. The junior transferred to Oregon during the offseason with 22 career starts as a Cornhusker behind him, then opened this fall expecting to spend the year as Dante Moore's backup.

That arrangement collapsed on Saturday night, when Moore was hospitalized after an illegal hit to the head from USC linebacker Desman Stephens II and departed the venue in an ambulance. Raiola took the snap-taking duties from there.

In relief, Raiola connected on 19 of 25 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns over two quarters and 10 minutes. It was his second appearance of the season; the week before, he handled the third quarter against Portland State and hit all 11 attempts for 124 yards and three scores in his first game action since the injury.

Both of his touchdown throws arrived at pivotal points. Two plays after Moore went down, Raiola hit Evan Stewart from 3 yards out to make it 10-10 with 9:04 left in the first half. With the teams deadlocked at 27-27 in the fourth quarter, he and Dakorien Moore hooked up on a 29-yard touchdown that put the Ducks ahead to stay with 8:35 remaining.

Afterward, Raiola said he would never wish misfortune on anyone, least of all his own teammates, but admitted the occasion held special significance for him and the people closest to him — the previous time he shared a field with USC, he walked away with a fractured leg. He voiced appreciation for the Oregon program, its coaching staff and, above all, the players around him.

He also stressed that winning is the only objective that counts, observing that the sport offers no sympathy when someone gets hurt and that his teammates responded exactly as the moment required. Coach Dan Lanning revealed that Raiola had spent game week texting him observations from his film study of the Trojans. Lanning added that everyone on the sideline trusted the quarterback because he had readied himself for an opportunity that came without any warning.

Dakorien Moore, who caught the go-ahead score, said belief in Raiola never dipped because he worked and handled himself the way a starter would regardless of his role. As for Dante Moore's condition, Lanning avoided any long-term projection, saying the quarterback was in recovery, was moving and retained the ability to move, and that the team would keep evaluating him rather than speculate.

Oregon now heads into its bye week. The Ducks return to action Oct. 10, when unbeaten UCLA (4-0) visits Autzen Stadium. If the start falls to Raiola, Lanning said his quarterback will be prepared, pointing to how cleanly he ran the operation against USC.