Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning announced Dante Moore as the starting quarterback for the season. He succeeds 2024 Heisman finalist Dillon Gabriel, who declared for the draft and was picked by the Cleveland Browns in the third round. Moore started in Week 1 and won against Montana State and is in line to make his second start for the Ducks in Week 2.
Barring any last-minute concerns, Moore is perfectly fit and fine to start Saturday's game against in-state rivals Oregon State at Autzen Stadium. After playing backup for the whole year behind Gabriel, who led the program to an unbeaten regular season, the former UCLA Bruins quarterback will like to grab the opportunity with both hands this season.
Moore was in race with Austin Novosad and Luke Moga this offseason but his prior experience made him an easy choice for Lanning this offseason.
How Dante Moore performed in season opener vs Montana State?
The Ducks absolutely crushed Montana State in the 59-13 win. Moore led the offense, completing 18 of 23 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 18 yards on three carries. Malik Benson, Jay Harris and Kyler Kasper were his main targets and all three of them are expected to make his job easier on Saturday at Autzen Stadium.
Coach Lanning was left impressed with Moore's quality decision-making, highlighting a red-zone play and avoiding ball-in-jeopardy mistakes. Moore himself was satisfied with how he handled the offense.
“We did a great job," Moore said. "We did meet a lot of our goals, but I feel like my personal growth would probably be lasting through long drives, building my fatigue and make sure I’m pushing my teammates during the drives.”
With a strong performance in Week 1, Moore finds himself at No. 20 in the On3's updated Heisman rankings