Sports

Dylan Raiola Silenced The Haters With Admirable Display Of Sportsmanship In Win Over His Former Team

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Dylan Raiola Nebraska handshake oregon class respect gesture benched
Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dylan Raiola led Oregon to a comeback win over Nebraska during the college football game in Eugene on Saturday night. However, he did not play until the second half.

The Ducks started Brock Thomas.

Raiola showed the utmost class toward his former college football teammates in victory. It was an admirable display of character.

Oregon started Brock Thomas.

Starting quarterback Dante Moore suffered a serious head injury during the game against USC on Sept. 26. He is out indefinitely.

Fortunately, Oregon paid a lot of money to sign Dylan Raiola through the transfer portal during the offseason. The former five-star recruit led the Ducks to a win over the Trojans in relief of Moore and earned the start against UCLA last weekend.

It did not go well for him. Raiola completed only six of his 19 pass attempts for 43 yards with two interceptions. Head coach Dan Lanning decided to bench the backup in favor of third-string quarterback Brock Thomas. Thomas completed 11 of 15 pass attempts for 156 yards and a touchdown but Oregon still lost to UCLA at home.

A legitimate national title contender to begin the season, the Ducks cannot afford to lose again. Lanning thought Thomas gave his team the better chance to win on Saturday. He decided to start the third-stringer over the backup. It was pretty awkward.

Raiola spent the first two years of his career at Nebraska and knew most everybody on the opposing sideline.

Lanning did not start him against his former team.

It did not go well. Thomas looked a lot like Raiola against UCLA. He completed only nine of 20 pass attempts for 54 yards with an interception. Oregon trailed Nebraska by seven points at halftime. It appeared as though Lanning was going to make a change out of the break.

That was not the case. Lanning kept Thomas in the game.

Dylan Raiola led a comeback win over Nebraska.

The Ducks held an on-field competition during the third quarter. A fan threw six balls through a target to win $300. The student section chanted “we want that guy” in reference to the quarterback position. They wanted Brock Thomas to be benched.

Shortly thereafter, the chant changed to “we want Dylan” after Oregon failed to score a touchdown in the red zone and settled for a field goal. Lanning agreed. Dylan Raiola took over on the next offensive possession to begin the fourth quarter, down 14-6.

He was fired up after the first first down.

The offense finally started to show some life.

Raiola ultimately threw the game-winning touchdown with ~30 seconds remaining.

The Ducks defeated the Cornhuskers by a final score of 17-14. Their College Football Playoff hopes are still alive.

It was an extra special win for Raiola. The last 12 months have been a rollercoaster. He didn’t even start the game!

The former Nebraska quarterback did not even celebrate with his own teammates right after the win. He ran straight over to the visitor’s tunnel to shake the hands of his former teammates.

Given how things went down in Lincoln at the end, Raiola was all class.

It was important for him to show his respect toward the people who gave him his first opportunity.

A night that started out with Raiola on the bench ended with him being the hero against his former team. College football never fails to produce the most compelling storylines.