The Oregon Ducks picked up an uninspiring 21-7 win over the Wisconsin Badgers at Autzen Stadium on Saturday. This isn’t to say that nothing of note happened during the sloppy win in inclement weather.
Ducks quarterback Dante Moore left the game after suffering a bloodied nose on a hit from a Wisconsin defender. Brock Thomas finished the game under center. Oregon head football coach Dan Lanning downplayed the injury after the game and gave Thomas his due.
“I think we could have pushed to get him back in, but he's going to be good,” Lanning said. “He had a bloody nose, he got hit pretty good, but it looks like he's in great shape.
“[Moore] was probably in position that he could have gone in, but for Brock to come in and perform the way he did, really excited for him to be able to do that. I know the players were really proud of him.”
FOX Sports’ RJ Young was not as nonchalant. In fact, Young shared a great deal of worry for the NFL draft prospect’s head and the team’s future, claiming that the injury was a “cause for concern” in Eugene.
“The Ducks earned the win, but an injury to standout quarterback Dante Moore is cause for concern. Moore was hit in the head and entered the medical tent during the third quarter. He did not return to the game. Brock Thomas finished the game for the Ducks at QB,” Young wrote.
The Ducks were a likely College Football Playoff shoo-in with an undefeated record outside of their 30-20 loss to the No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers. Matchups with the Iowa Hawkeyes, USC Trojans, and Washington Huskies now look daunting, to say the least.
Moore’s injury could end up being a harrowing turning point for Oregon’s season. We’ll see if Young’s cause for concern is valid over the next five weeks.