Oregon starts Brock Thomas at quarterback against Nebraska
Oregon senior Brock Thomas will make his first career start at quarterback Saturday, replacing Dylan Raiola as the Ducks aim to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Oregon announced that senior Brock Thomas will start at quarterback against Nebraska on Saturday, marking his first career start. The decision follows a week of practice where Thomas received the majority of first-team reps, while junior Dylan Raiola was pulled after a second interception and a 31.6% completion rate in the loss to UCLA.
Head coach Dan Lanning explained the change in a mid-week press conference, noting that the team needed to get the ball out more quickly and create open passing lanes. He added that protecting the ball was a priority and acknowledged Raiola’s strong performance against USC.
Thomas, an Eugene native who joined Oregon as a walk-on in 2023, has limited game experience. In 15 pass attempts against UCLA, he completed 72.2% for 302 yards and two touchdowns. The senior has been behind a series of quarterbacks on the depth chart, including Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, Dante Moore and Raiola.
Raiola, a former five-star recruit from Nebraska, struggled in the UCLA game, throwing two interceptions and fumbling a snap on a key fourth-and-1 play. He will remain on the bench for the Nebraska matchup.
The Ducks, who entered the season as a national championship contender, are currently seeking to improve their standing in the College Football Playoff race with games remaining against Illinois, Northwestern, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Washington.