Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola stepped off the bench to lead the Ducks past USC on Saturday, then spoke about the peace he finds in trusting God when he cannot know what comes next.
“You find peace,” Raiola said in his postgame news conference to explain why he places his trust in God.
The junior helped No. 20 Oregon beat No. 12 USC 41-27 on Sept. 26 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum after starting quarterback Dante Moore suffered an injury in the second quarter. Raiola completed 19 of 25 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, according to Oregon’s official box score.
It was not the way anyone wanted his opportunity to arrive. The Ducks trailed 7-3 when Moore went down, and medical personnel eventually took him from the stadium in an ambulance, Oregon’s game recap reported.
Raiola opened his remarks afterward with concern for his teammate rather than a celebration of his own numbers. He said seeing Moore hurt had shaken the team, and he described the players’ determination to keep fighting for him.
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On the field, Raiola got to work quickly. He threw a three-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Evan Stewart on his second snap, putting Oregon ahead, and the Ducks never trailed again.
USC still made them earn the finish. After the Trojans tied the score at 27 in the fourth quarter, Raiola connected with wide receiver Dakorien Moore for a 29-yard touchdown with 8:35 remaining, and running back Jordon Davison later added a two-yard touchdown run.
Raiola had plenty of help. Running back Dierre Hill Jr. scored twice on the ground in the third quarter, and tight end Jamari Johnson finished with seven catches for 119 yards.
The performance followed plenty of preparation away from the spotlight. When asked how he stayed ready as a backup, Raiola pointed to meetings, protection plans and conversations with Moore about the game plan, saying he approached each day as a starter while understanding his role.
Raiola brought experience to that work, too. His Oregon biography lists 13 starts as a Nebraska freshman and nine more the following season, when an injury against USC ended his year.
Facing the Trojans again carried personal meaning, Raiola explained in the news conference. He recalled leaving their previous meeting with a broken leg and expressed gratitude for his new program, its coaches and, especially, his teammates.
Before that injury, he had thrown for 2,000 yards and 18 touchdowns across nine games in 2025, according to his Oregon biography. He completed 72.4% of his passes that season at Nebraska.
Oregon heads into its bye week with a 3-1 record and a home game against UCLA on Oct. 10. For Raiola, Saturday offered a chance to put his preparation to work while supporting a teammate whose well-being remained on his mind.
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