CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Oregon Ducks (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) suffered their worst loss of the season at Illinois on Saturday.
The 21-10 defeat came against a marginal Illinois team that started a true freshman at quarterback, rushed for 225 yards, and held Oregon to two scoring drives.
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As a result, on Sunday, Oregon coach Dan Lanning announced the firing of offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer.
What that means for the rest of the season remains to be seen. Mehringer had to contend with several key personnel issues, including starting quarterback Dante Moore missing three games while in concussion protocol.
Here are 10 takeaways from Saturday’s game and the firing of Mehringer:
Criticizing play-calling is an armchair quarterback’s delight, but doing so under Oregon’s current circumstances is somewhat obtuse.
Few teams excel without their starting quarterback. The next factor is an offensive line that was clearly mismanaged in the offseason after losing three starters to the NFL. Next is inconsistent play from backup quarterbacks Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas. Then sprinkle in losing top wideout Jeremiah McClellan (broken foot) after three games, starting wide receiver Evan Stewart (undisclosed injury) for the last two games, and two more rotational wide receivers heading into Illinois.
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Does all of that excuse Mehringer for Oregon scoring just 42 points over the past three weeks? No. But those are a lot of obstacles for any offensive coordinator to overcome.
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Lanning will probably announce his new offensive coordinator during his Monday press conference.
He could promote from within to get through the season and then conduct a national search in the offseason. Or he may have someone in mind to take over now and beyond.
Whatever Lanning decides, the next play-caller had better hope Moore returns, or little will change.
Lanning did well by hiring younger offensive coordinators, Kenny Dillingham and then Will Stein. But maybe it’s time to bring in an accomplished, seasoned veteran coach to add a new perspective to a relatively young staff.
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Someone with a track record of success as an offensive coordinator and maybe as a head coach.
Someone like former Oregon coach Chip Kelly, Northwestern’s offensive coordinator. No, don’t expect Kelly to want to return to Oregon.
But someone like him could fit perfectly.
After Saturday’s game, Raiola was asked twice how difficult it was to build timing with the receiving crew, which lacked McClellan, Stewart, and freshmen Messiah Hampton and Jalen Lott.
Raiola avoided throwing anyone under the bus but acknowledged what the question implied. Passing games are built on timing. If the quarterback can’t fully trust the receivers running the routes, synergy suffers and efficiency wanes.
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That’s less a knock on the receivers than an acknowledgment that it’s easier to develop a connection with a team’s more polished top receivers than with those thrust into action by circumstance.
At times, running back Dierre Hill Jr. played wide receiver alongside freshmen Hudson Lewis and Gatlin Bair. Neither had played much until injuries hit the group.
Lanning said Stewart would return. McClellan is out indefinitely.
Much has been made about the failed gadget play in the third quarter. Many have blamed Mehringer for the play-call and the negative result hurting momentum.
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Let’s examine.
Oregon trailed 14-10, forced an Illinois punt and took over at the Ducks’ 9-yard line. Five plays later, Oregon moved the ball to its 47.
That’s when the gadget play came out.
Oregon lined up with four offensive linemen to the far left, with wide receiver Dakorien Moore behind the linemen. Three Illinois defenders lined up on that side with a fourth closer to the box.
Raiola checked to a run play and handed the ball to Moore on a jet sweep to the right, where the Ducks were outnumbered. The poorly-blocked play resulted in a one-yard loss.
A couple of plays later, Oregon punted.
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After the game, Lanning was asked whether the failed play hurt the team at that moment.
“Yeah, it’s a great question,” he said. “It certainly wasn’t successful. There’s a pause in operation there, right?”
Yes, but who is at fault for the failed play? Is it Raiola for reading it wrong and not passing to Moore? Is it Mehringer for calling the play? Or is it Lanning for allowing the play to happen?
For that play to be called, it must be accepted by Lanning, practiced, reviewed on film and further stamped by Lanning to appear on the play sheet. Then, when Mehringer calls it, Lanning must let it go through. He can hear every play call through the coaches’ headsets.
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If Lanning didn’t like the play, he could have vetoed it. He did not.
The concept is not much different from when Lanning chooses to go for two after touchdowns. If Oregon gets the favorable look it wants, it takes the shot.
That’s what happened with the gadget play. But Oregon made the wrong choice and the play failed.
Regardless of the process, had Lanning not liked the play, he could have stopped it from being called.
Oregon gained 180 yards on the ground against a team that ranked 12th in the Big Ten in rushing defense, allowing 134.4 yards per game.
Still, too many drives started well before getting stuffed, putting more pressure on Raiola, who couldn’t consistently deliver.
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As a result, Oregon converted on just four of 15 third-down attempts.
With most of the team’s top receivers out, the rushing attack needed to be special, and it wasn’t.
The junior entered the game 9-for-9 on field-goal attempts and went 1-for-4. But two of his three misses came from beyond 50 yards.
Hurych missed his first attempt from 52 yards out. He made a 20-yard field goal in the second quarter to put Oregon up 10-0. He missed a 53-yarder with 6:04 to go in the fourth quarter and later missed a 47-yarder with 52 seconds to go.
“He’s human,” Lanning said. “The reality is, those are long kicks. Some of those are really tough. The wind’s a little bit different in this stadium. I think we put them in a position that wasn’t the easiest to operate, and we’ve been really fortunate this year.”
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Oregon’s defense kept the Ducks in the games against UCLA and Nebraska until the offense started to come alive.
Oregon lost to the Bruins 17-15 and beat Nebraska 17-14.
On Saturday, the Ducks led 10-0 late in the second quarter. At that point, nobody knew Oregon wouldn’t score again. But the defense’s job was to keep dominating, just in case.
It failed.
Illinois running back Aidan Laughery got loose for a 75-yard touchdown run, making it 10-7 with 2:15 left in the half. Illinois had rushed for just 14 yards before that run, but finished the game with 225 rushing yards.
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That production took pressure off freshman starting quarterback Michael Clayton II, who threw for two second-half touchdowns.
A dominant defense doesn’t let that happen against a team it has on the ropes.
The loss was more about the Ducks’ offense than the defense. But the defense got sloppy—several defenders made mistakes on Laughery’s long run—revealing a lack of four-quarter focus.
“In moments today, they played really well as well,” Lanning said of his defense. “But ultimately, they still had 225 yards rushing, or whatever. The final total was there. We can play better than that.”
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Many fans frustrated with the quarterback play have called for Smith to get a shot. The sophomore former four-star recruit flashed some skills against Portland State and again last spring.
Is he ready to take on a Big Ten team? Only the coaches know for sure. They see him in practice every day.
Even if the Ducks have no shot at the playoffs, Lanning will likely play to win, not to develop. That means he has to believe Smith can win before Smith gets on the field.
However, if Moore does not return, Lanning should at least give Smith some game reps. Lanning said he had a Smith package ready for Nebraska, so we know Lanning has some plays he believes Smith can run effectively.
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Truth be told, what do they have to lose? Raiola has been so inconsistent that giving Smith a series or two couldn’t hurt much.
Understandably, Oregon left Illinois dejected. It will be interesting to see how the team responds. The loss probably ended the Ducks’ playoff chances.
Although a 9-3 team could qualify for the playoffs given the level of national parity, Oregon winning nine games appears unlikely.
With many players returning this season to make a national title run and key players with NFL futures to consider, it’s conceivable that many players shut down emotionally for the season.
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It’s doubtful that many marquee players have any interest in playing in a random bowl game. Those headed to the NFL or the transfer portal wouldn’t play in a bowl game anyway.
If the team loses its zeal, the Ducks could fail to win seven games in a full season for the first time since 2016, when Oregon went 4-8.
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