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A loss changed Dante Moore’s mindset and fueled Oregon’s run to the College Football Playoff.
Frustrated by an uneven performance against top-ranked Indiana in October, Moore vowed not to put enormous pressure on himself again and he’s been stellar ever since.
“I made that game bigger than what it was, had a lot of emotions that game, some of my teammates saw it,” Moore said. “I didn’t have that smile on my face. I didn’t have that joy. I was kind of too locked in, to be honest. But from that game on, I just learned how to adapt and just treat it like another day at practice to go out there, have fun, throw the ball, have confidence — if you make a mistake, cool, next play.”
Moore’s next play will come at the New Year’s Day Orange Bowl against No. 4 seed Texas Tech (12-1).
The game that serves as a CFP quarterfinal will likely come down to whether the fifth-seeded Ducks (12-1) can solve the Red Raiders’ violent, stifling defense.
Moore will be the focal point, as quarterbacks typically are, and the Red Raiders know what they’re up against.
“Their quarterback is a really good player,” Texas Tech defensive coordinator Shiel Wood said. “He’s got all the tools. He can push the ball to every part of the field. Think he does a good job of taking care of the football, making decisions with it. He’s got the ability to run as well.”
Moore has been superb at Oregon, but it was a bumpy ride to Eugene.
Moore received his first college offer as an eighth grader and was one of the nation’s top recruits coming out of Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Detroit. The 6-foot-2, 206-pound quarterback had committed to Oregon but chose to play at UCLA after Ducks offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham became Arizona State’s head coach. Moore had plenty of hype surrounding his arrival as one of the highest-rated players in Bruins’ history.
He got off to a strong start at UCLA before the wheels started falling off.
In a stretch of three straight games against ranked opponents, Moore threw six interceptions and had one returned for a touchdown in each game. He also was sacked 16 times and completed just 45% of his passes.
Once UCLA’s season ended, Moore opted to return to where he first committed. Oregon already had Dillon Gabriel entrenched as the starter, but Moore had no problem taking a back seat in 2024 to learn from a quarterback who became a Heisman Trophy finalist while leading the Ducks to the No. 1 seed in the CFP.
Moore thrived once it was his turn this season, throwing for 3,095 yards and 28 touchdowns with eight interceptions. He had a huge game against James Madison in the opening round of the playoffs, accounting for five touchdowns and 357 yards in the 51-34 win.
“I think Dante’s grown in a lot of ways,” said Oregon defensive coordinator Will Stein, who is remaining with the Ducks through their playoff run before becoming Kentucky’s head coach. “I mean, obviously, he’s playing at a really high rate right now. He’s operating the offense like you want.”
Moore’s lone shaky game this season came in the 30-20 loss to Indiana on Oct. 11, when he had two interceptions and threw for just 186 yards. Since then, Moore has thrown for 1,650 yards and 13 touchdowns with five interceptions while completing 73% of his passes.
“He understands how to solve problems within our offense,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “He can check to a lot of things himself, make every throw, and use all the weapons we have. Every route is alive on every play, and that’s not the case in every offense.”
Oregon’s season is still alive thanks in large part to Moore — and that one wobbly performance.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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