A month before a meeting with their arch-rival Oregon Ducks, Washington will be facing a new-look offense. Following a 21-10 loss to Illinois, coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks fired offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer.
Mehringer, who was in his first year of playcalling duties under Lanning, had Oregon's offense ranked No. 74 in the country in points per game and No. 68 in yards per game, as the preseason No. 2-ranked team in the nation now sits at 4-3. Before his brief stint as OC, the longtime assistant was the tight ends coach and co-offensive coordinator from 2022-2025, producing NFL talent including Patrick Herbert, Terrance Ferguson, and Kenyon Sadiq.
While the first-year play caller has been held responsible for the Ducks' sluggish offensive showing this year, not all the blame can be placed on just one person. Star quarterback Dante Moore has missed the last three games due to a concussion suffered earlier in the year against USC, while wide receivers Jeremiah McClellan, Evan Stewart, and Jalen Lott have all missed multiple games.
BREAKING: Oregon has dismissed offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer, @PeteNakos reports. https://t.co/5WvZCJBGfzpic.twitter.com/szl6dSiWMe
— On3 (@On3) October 25, 2026
Regardless of who's to blame for Oregon's struggles, the reality is that Washington will still have to prepare for one of the most talented offenses in the nation. Lanning has yet to announce an interim to fill the position, but that doesn't change the fact that defensive coordinator Ryan Walters' unit should still expect to see a similar style of offense to last year, simply due to the number of returning players on offense for the Ducks.
With the return of their starting quarterback still looming large, it has been Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola getting the starting nod in two of the past three games, losing both to UCLA and Illinois, respectively. The lone game Oregon has won in Moore's absence came in Week Seven against Nebraska, where third-stringer Brock Thomas got the start before being benched in the fourth quarter for Raiola, who led a late comeback to beat his former team.
After both programs started the season ranked in the top 25, both the Huskies and Ducks hold a 4-3 record going into Week Eight. Now just over four weeks before the two meet for their regular-season finale, the Ducks offense will look to find a newfound identity with a new play caller at the helm.
As for Washington, there's still more than enough challenges posed by having to knock off the Ducks inside Autzen Stadium, regardless of the turmoil among their coaching staff.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Football to Face OC-less Oregon In Regular Season Finale