Week 4 College Football: Oregon Backup Raiola Shines, Iowa Stuns Michigan
The short version
- Dylan Raiola replaced injured Oregon starter Dante Moore and passed for 289 yards and two TDs in a 41-27 win over USC.
- Iowa beat Michigan on a last-second play at Michigan Stadium.
- Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith caught four touchdown passes in Week 4.
- Texas beat Tennessee by three points despite 10 sacks.
- Boise State is the favorite for the Group of Five's automatic CFP bid; Ohio State visits Iowa next weekend.
Dylan Raiola threw for 289 yards and two scores in relief for Oregon, Iowa beat Michigan late, and Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith scored four touchdowns in Week 4.
Drama defined the fourth week of the college football season, headlined by Oregon's 41-27 victory over USC and Iowa's last-second win at Michigan Stadium. Oregon was forced to turn to backup quarterback Dylan Raiola after starter Dante Moore left the game following a hit that sent him to the hospital, with an ambulance still visible on the field as Raiola took his first snap.
Raiola, a transfer from Nebraska, responded with the best performance of his college career. He threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns, and found the end zone just two plays after entering the game. Yahoo Sports noted that Raiola arrived in Eugene knowing he was unlikely to start if Moore returned to school, and that his experience — 22 career starts — proved critical in the moment.
USC's loss continued a familiar pattern, according to Yahoo's takeaways. Despite expectations that defensive coordinator Gary Patterson would fix the unit, the Trojans' defense faltered again against a top opponent, this time against a backup quarterback. The outlet also wrote that coach Lincoln Riley's job security is increasingly a talking point while Oregon coach Dan Lanning continues to dominate the West Coast.
At Florida, coach Jon Sumrall's stock is rising. Yahoo called the Gators potentially the most dangerous team in the country after a home win over Ole Miss, and encouraged readers not to sleep on the program.
Texas escaped with a three-point win over Tennessee despite recording 10 sacks and controlling much of the game, hampered by what Yahoo described as inexcusable penalties. The Longhorns have looked like the nation's top team for only one quarter this season — a near-perfect fourth period against Ohio State in which they scored 21 unanswered points to complete a comeback. Otherwise, the Arch Manning-led offense has alternated strong drives with cold stretches.
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith delivered a potential Heisman Trophy statement with four receiving touchdowns on Saturday. Yahoo wrote that Smith is the best offensive player in college football and deserves a trip to New York as a Heisman finalist, while noting that teammate quarterback Julian Sayin is also a contender for the award, which could split voter support. Non-quarterbacks historically face a steep path to the trophy.
Boise State has positioned itself as the front-runner for the Group of Five's automatic College Football Playoff bid, per Yahoo. The Broncos lost narrowly at Oregon, beat Memphis convincingly and dominated Western Michigan, and are now favored to win the restructured Pac-12. Winning that conference would likely make them the highest-ranked Group of Five champion.
The weekend also carried lessons about two programs, in Yahoo's telling: Jeff Brohm's team stumbled the week after a big win, and Iowa's late victory over Michigan — decided on a final throw in the closing seconds — evened out the karma from a Week 1 Hail Mary finish. The result sets up a major matchup next weekend, with Ohio State visiting Iowa City.
Games to watch
