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By Aman Sharma
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Ranked second by the US LBM Coaches Poll to begin the year, the Oregon Ducks are now unranked and short an offensive coordinator.
Oregon fired Drew Mehringer on Oct. 25, cutting short his first year as offensive coordinator. Illinois had beaten the Ducks 21-10 one day earlier, leaving them 4-3 with a 2-2 mark against Big Ten opponents.
Lanning addressed the move through a written statement from the school.
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“Drew has been a valued member of this staff since 2022, and I am appreciative of everything he’s done for Oregon. He played a tremendous role in what this program has accomplished over the last several seasons. This was a decision I felt was in the best interest of our football program, as I believe a new direction is necessary to move our offense forward. I thank Drew for his efforts and wish him all the best.”
Mehringer arrived in 2022 as tight ends coach on Lanning’s first Oregon staff and later added the co-offensive coordinator title. He took over the offense outright in 2026, when Will Stein left to become Kentucky’s head coach.
Dante Moore’s absence has loomed over everything. Oregon’s starting quarterback was concussed in the Week 4 game against USC and has missed three straight games since, all of which ended with the Ducks held to 17 points or fewer.
Dylan Raiola has handled most of the work in his place, completing 74 of 114 passes for 761 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions this season. Brock Thomas is 23 for 40 for 226 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Top receivers Jeremiah McClellan, Messiah Hampton and Evan Stewart also missed the Illinois game.
Illinois held Oregon scoreless over the final two quarters. On the season, the Ducks average 423.1 yards per game, which ranks No. 42 in the nation for total offense.
With three losses already, Oregon has little margin left for a College Football Playoff berth.
The schedule won’t help. The Ducks, one of five Big Ten teams sharing eighth place at 2-2, host ranked Northwestern for Week 9, then travel to ranked Ohio State for Week 10.
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