Oregon quarterback Dante Moore walked into one of the loudest stadiums in college football and left with a signature win. In front of more than 111,000 fans dressed in white, Moore guided the Ducks past then-No. 3 Penn State, 30-24, in a double-overtime classic.
Coach Dan Lanning described the emotional moment he shared with his quarterback afterward, telling him, “I love you.”
The sophomore went 29 of 39 for 248 yards, three touchdowns and, importantly, no interceptions, while also adding 35 rushing yards. Oregon vaulted to No. 2 in the AP poll with the win, and Moore vaulted to the front of the Heisman race.
His calm in hostile conditions has many drawing comparisons to Marcus Mariota, the Ducks’ last Heisman winner in 2014.
Moore’s Heisman push and Mariota parallels
Moore’s poise against Penn State lifted him to the top of the Heisman Trophy odds. BetMGM set him at +750, an improvement from +1000 the week prior. Only Alabama’s Ty Simpson (+850) and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, the lone non-quarterback in the top 10, are close.
Through five games, the former five-star recruit has thrown for 1,210 yards, 14 touchdowns and just one interception, ranking fourth nationally in passing scores. He has delivered at least three touchdown passes in four of Oregon’s five contests.
His game-winning strike in double overtime, a 25-yard throw to Gary Bryant Jr., punctuated a night in which he shook off punishing hits from a top-tier defense without flinching.
Oregon has become a launching pad for Heisman finalists under coordinator Will Stein. Bo Nix earned a trip to New York in 2023, Dillon Gabriel followed in 2024, and both are now starting in the NFL. Moore has not only matched that standard but is pushing beyond it.
The comparisons to Mariota are natural. In 2014, Mariota completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 4,454 yards, 42 touchdowns, and four interceptions, while adding 770 rushing yards and 15 scores on the ground.
His season was a showcase of consistency and efficiency that earned him the Heisman along with multiple national awards.
For Moore, the formula is clear: keep stacking wins, protect the football, and maintain the calm he displayed under the lights in Happy Valley. If he does, Oregon could celebrate its first Heisman winner since Mariota.