​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.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: 1. It feels like Mehringer is the scapegoat in this messCriticizing 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.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.Watch “Oregon football fires offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer” on YouTubeWatch2. Where does Lanning go from here? 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.3. It could be time to add a veteran coach to the staffLanning 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.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. 4. The wide receiver situationAfter 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. Oregon Ducks QB Dylan Raiola (8) throws a pass to Oregon Ducks RB Dierre Hill Jr. (6) during a college football game between the Oregon Ducks and Illinois Fighting Illini on October 24, 2026 at Gies Memorial Stadium