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Illinois Football set to take on Dylan Raiola as quarterback of Oregon

Oregon Announces their starting Quarterback for Saturday’s match-up with the Illini in Champaign…. But, he struggled mightily in his last road outing.

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Illinois Football. Photo Credit: Illinois Football on Instagram. (@Illinifootball). Homecoming Game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Illinois Fighting Illini at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign, IL on October 03, 2026. Photo By Quinten Truitt.
Illinois Football. Photo Credit: Illinois Football on Instagram. (@Illinifootball). Homecoming Game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Illinois Fighting Illini at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign, IL on October 03, 2026. Photo By Quinten Truitt.

The Ducks quarterback controversy has been settled… for now. According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Oregon will turn to Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola under center when the Ducks travel to Champaign to face Illinois Football on Saturday (10/24 – 2 PM CT). Notably, Raiola is set to make his second start of the season while Dante Moore remains sidelined by a concussion.

Can he lead the Ducks to victory as an -8.5 favorite on the road? Or will the inconsistency that plagued Raiola against UCLA rear its head against interim DC Roger Cooper’s struggling defense?

Can Raiola Find Enough Consistency to Get the Win on the Road vs. Illinois Football?

The decision from coach Dan Lanning’s staff comes after Oregon spent the past two weeks rotating quarterbacks in search of consistent production. Raiola started against UCLA but was benched for Brock Thomas after struggling mightily, racking up 2 interceptions and only 43 yards against the Bruins. Thomas earned the start against Nebraska last week before the Ducks staff turned to Raiola in the fourth quarter for a spark. He ultimately overcame an 8-point deficit and led 11 unanswered points to close a thrilling but sloppy 17-14 home win in Eugene

The former Husker has shown flashes of the potential that made him a highly touted recruit and two-year starter at Nebraska. This season, he has completed 47 of 73 passes for the Ducks, totaling 515 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Still, his transition to Eugene has been really inconsistent. 

His showing last week was certainly an improvement. Now, with Moore remaining sidelined, the Ducks are hoping he can carry that late-game momentum into a big road test.

Can Raiola build on his fourth-quarter comeback and lead Oregon to another win in Champaign? Or will Illinois Football be able to step up defensively, force a turnover or two, despite the turmoil, and force the inconsistency that plagued Dylan against UCLA to resurface once again on the road?

That answer’s gonna go a long way in determining who walks out of Memorial Stadium with a win on Saturday. 

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Kirkland is an expert source for Illinois athletics news. He is the lead Football analyst at Armchair Illini and has been featured in top media publications like Bleacher Report, Yard Barker, Autograph, Newsbreak, CBS Sports and more.

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