Tag: Ducks

QB Dante Moore staying at Oregon, opts against entering NFL draft

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, projected to be one of the top picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, announced Wednesday that he is staying in school.

Moore made the announcement on ESPN’s SportCenter on the last day underclassmen not playing in the College Football Playoff championship game can declare for the draft.

The Ducks finished 13-2, the only losses coming against Indiana in the regular season on Oct. 11 and in the CFP semifinals on Jan. 9.

A 6-foot-3, 206-pound redshirt sophomore, Moore was ranked among the top overall draft prospects and second quarterback behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. Instead, he likely will be one of the top prospects for the 2027 draft.

“Even this year, I had many great throws, many great plays, but at the end of the day, I feel like I could still learn so much more,” Moore said on SportCenter. “Of course, as a kid, since four years old, I’ve dreamed about being in the NFL. But, of course this team, we’ve been through a lot, and a lot of people are returning, so I feel like we’ve got exciting things coming this year, and I’m excited to keep pushing my team.”

Moore completed 296 of 412 passes (71.8%) for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 15 games, averaging 237.67 yards per game. He also rushed 73 times for 156 yards and two TDs.

A five-star recruit ranked in the top four by national recruiting services out of Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School in Detroit, Moore played in nine games and made five starts as a freshman at UCLA in 2023. Moore used a redshirt season in 2024 after transferring to Oregon, where he appeared in five games as Dillon Gabriel’s backup and was 7-of-8 passing for 49 yards.

Oregon under coach Dan Lanning has had great recent success with transfer quarterbacks Bo Nix, Gabriel and Moore.

Former Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola announced Monday on Instagram that he is transferring to Oregon. He could potentially redshirt now that Moore has announced his return for the 2026 season.

Raiola, who has two years of eligibility remaining, started 22 games for the Cornhuskers over the past two seasons, passing for 4,819 yards and 31 touchdowns. His 2025 season ended with a broken right fibula in Nebraska’s loss to Southern California on Nov. 1. The injury is not expected to affect his readiness to start next season.

–Field Level Media

Oregon without RB Jordon Davison for semifinal vs. Indiana

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No. 5 Oregon won’t have running back Jordon Davison when it meets No. 1 Indiana on Friday night in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.

Oregon listed Davison, who leads the team with 15 rushing touchdowns, as out on the availability report released Tuesday. The true freshman sustained a broken clavicle in the win over Texas Tech in the CFP quarterfinals on Jan. 1 at the Orange Bowl, according to a report in the Oregonian.

Davison is second on the team with 677 yards on 113 carries and also caught 12 passes for 62 yards in 14 games.

He rushed eight times for 59 yards and caught four passes for 9 yards in the Ducks’ only setback this season, a 30-20 home loss to Indiana on Oct. 11.

Davison had 15 carries for 42 yards and two touchdowns in the 23-0 win over No. 4 Texas Tech.

The Ducks (13-1) have leading rusher Noah Whittington, a senior with 129 carries for 829 yards and six TDs in 12 games, and freshman Dierre Hill Jr., who ran for 570 yards and five TDs on 70 attempts.

Running backs Jayden Limar (262 yards, three TDs) and Makhi Hughes (70 yards) have entered the transfer portal.

–Field Level Media

No. 1 Indiana’s Peach Bowl challenge: Beat No. 5 Oregon… again

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ATLANTA — No. 1 Indiana just won its biggest game in school history. In order to replace that victory with an even more important triumph, the Hoosiers will have to tackle a new challenge — beating a team twice.

Hoping to add on to the best season the program has seen, the Hoosiers will have to take down No. 5 Oregon in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl on Friday. Indiana beat Oregon in Eugene 30-20 on Oct. 11.

Head coach Curt Cignetti’s team is no longer just a good story. Indiana has entered the group of elites in college football.

After Indiana (14-0) steamrolled Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl, a rematch was set with Oregon (13-1) — which breezed past Texas Tech 23-0 in the Orange Bowl.

Cignetti hasn’t faced a team twice in the same season since his Elon Phoenix split a pair of games with Furman in 2017, losing the latter in an FCS playoff game. There’s no doubt Cignetti will have his team ready in the updated version of the biggest game in Indiana history.

“I think it’s more psychological,” Cignetti said of preparing to face Oregon again. “The one team that came up short has a little added edge, so to speak. But at the end of the day, it’s determined by what goes on between the white lines. It’ll be a tremendous challenge because Oregon is very well-coached and they’ve got good players. … You put the best plan together you can, but at the end of the day, it’s which team executes the best.”

In that first meeting, Oregon was held to a season-low 267 total yards, while quarterback Dante Moore threw two interceptions. As head coach Dan Lanning readies for the Ducks’ third all-time CFP semifinal appearance, he knows it’s a play-by-play type of game.

“When games don’t go your way, you’re always trying to look for answers and reasons why. It’s really simple,” Lanning said of avenging the October loss. “They blocked better, they tackled better, they moved the ball and controlled the clock. You try to find moments where it was the difference. It’s every play. Every play added up and mattered. When you’re playing a team with great technique that has great scheme like Indiana, that’s the edge.”

Moore has thrown for 3,280 yards and 28 touchdowns for the Ducks.

Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza leads the nation with 36 passing scores, paired with 3,172 passing yards and a 72.3% completion percentage. The Cal transfer and projected No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft has done his part to put Indiana football on the map, but understands the job is far from finished.

“Beating a good team twice, not a good team, a great team twice, is extremely difficult,” Mendoza said. “(Oregon) is star-studded on both offense and defense, draft picks all across the board. They’ve changed a little bit throughout the season, but having to play them twice is going to be tough. It’s going to be a great challenge for us.”

It hasn’t taken long for Indiana fans to come around on the Hoosiers transitioning from a basketball school to a football school.

Entering 2025, Indiana’s 715 all-time losses were the most in the FBS (Northwestern now holds the dubious mark). The fan base drowned out the mighty Crimson Tide contingent at the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day — a trend Mendoza hopes follows the team to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Friday.

“I think having that home-field advantage in Atlanta, which you never know until you get there, but assuming that we’re not going to have to go to a silent count because of how far Eugene is from Atlanta, I think that would be huge for us,” Mendoza said. “It being a neutral-site game, usually it’s 50/50, but hopefully there’s more on our side.”

Indiana leading rusher Roman Hemby (1,007 yards) scored two touchdowns when he faced Oregon.

Oregon’s weapons include wide receiver Malik Benson and tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who have combined for 87 catches and 14 touchdowns. Benson caught a 44-yard touchdown against the Hoosiers in October.

–Jack Batten, Field Level Media

No. 6 Oregon fends off Demond Williams Jr., Washington

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Atticus Sappington made all four of his field goals, including a career-long 51-yard kick late in the third quarter, and No. 6 Oregon held on for a 26-14 win over Washington on Saturday afternoon in Seattle.

Dante Moore completed 20 of 29 passes for 286 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score for the Ducks (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten), who finished the regular season on a six-game winning streak. Oregon is in line to host a College Football Playoff opening round game next month.

The decisive moments of the game came in the fourth quarter, when the Huskies faced a fourth-and-8 from the Oregon 13. Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. found Denzel Boston for the second of two touchdown connections between the two, and Washington had new life, down 19-14 with 8:54 to play.

But a few plays later, Moore found Malik Benson open over the middle, and Benson raced upfield for a 64-yard touchdown strike. Oregon went back up by 12 and sealed its 12th straight road victory with Dillon Thieneman’s interception with 1:20 to play.

Washington finishes 8-4 overall and 5-4 in the Big 10. Williams threw two interceptions and was sacked four times as Oregon’s defense pressured him for much of the afternoon.

Oregon scored first, driving for a 46-yard field goal from Sappington on the Ducks’ first possession of the game.

A personal foul penalty against the Ducks late in the first quarter gave Washington field position inside Oregon territory. The Huskies got the ball to the Oregon 21, but Williams was intercepted by Ducks defensive back Jaden Canady to end the possession.

Oregon drove 80 yards after that turnover for a touchdown with Moore running into the end zone from a yard out. The Ducks took a 13-0 lead moments later on another Sappington field goal.

Washington took some momentum into halftime with a 12-play, 75-yard drive. On third down with no timeouts left and 10 seconds left in the half, Williams got a throw off under heavy pressure and hit Boston for a three-yard touchdown pass.

Oregon opened the second half with a drive for a field goal, going in front 16-7.

–Field Level Media

No. 7 Oregon outguns No. 15 USC to stay on track for CFP spot

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No. 7 Oregon had enough offense to outlast No. 15 USC for a 42-27 Big Ten victory on Saturday afternoon in Eugene, Ore., as the Ducks overcame the most penalty yards against them in two years to stay on track for a College Football Playoff spot.

Oregon (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) got a pair of touchdown catches from tight end Kenyon Sadiq, intercepted USC quarterback Jayden Maiava twice and held Trojans star wide receiver Makai Lemon to 34 receiving yards — though Lemon had two touchdown catches.

The Ducks’ Dante Moore completed 22 of 30 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Maiava finished 25 of 43 for 306 yards with three touchdowns for the Trojans (8-3, 6-2).

Both teams scored touchdowns on trick plays. Lemon threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Tanook Hines in the second quarter to tie the game at 14. Ducks linebacker Bryce Boettcher responded with a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:52 to go until halftime to give Oregon a 28-14 lead at the break.

Boettcher, a Eugene native, defensive starter and a key player on Oregon’s baseball team, played in his final regular-season game at Autzen Stadium.

Points were plentiful as Oregon penalties helped USC sustain drives. Early in the fourth quarter, back-to-back pass interference calls against the Ducks helped USC’s touchdown drive. Maiava found Lake McRee for a nine-yard touchdown pass to make it 35-27 with 11:32 left to play.

But Oregon responded, as it did much of the afternoon after the Trojans tied the game or got within one score. Moore engineered an 11-play, 79-yard drive that ended in Noah Whittington’s nine-yard touchdown run with 5:30 to play.

Whittington carried 19 times for 104 yards as Oregon defeated USC for the sixth time in the past seven meetings. The Ducks ended the day with 11 penalties for 130 yards.

USC got the ball down 42-27 and converted a fourth-and-8 to stay alive as Maiava was chased out of the pocket and completed a deep ball to Ja’Kobi Lane for 32 yards. But when the Trojans faced another fourth down on the same drive, the Ducks got the stop they needed to seal victory when Maiava threw behind Lemon incomplete.

Hines had six catches for 141 yards for USC. The Trojans were held to 52 rushing yards as a team.

–Field Level Media

Report: No. 7 Oregon missing two WRs vs. No. 15 USC

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No. 7 Oregon will be without top receivers Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr. on Saturday when it hosts No. 15 Southern California, ESPN reported.

The Ducks (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) are chasing a College Football Playoff bid and face a Trojans (8-2, 6-1) squad that has won three straight games.

Moore will miss his third game in a row with an injury sustained in practice earlier this month, while Bryant did not play last week after suffering an apparent foot injury in the No. 8 win at Iowa.

Moore, a freshman who ranked No. 1 at his position in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports, has 28 catches for a team-high 443 yards and three touchdowns in eight games.

Bryant ranks second on the Ducks in touchdown catches (four), third in receptions (25) and fourth in receiving yards (299).

–Field Level Media

No. 9 Oregon tries to avoid upset at Iowa on path to CFP

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A four-game stretch to end the regular season against four Big Ten teams currently with six wins each begins on Saturday for Oregon, which on Tuesday debuted at No. 9 in the College Football Playoff rankings.

The Ducks hope to avoid an upset the rest of the way and stay in the CFP field in December.

Oregon (7-1, 4-1 in Big Ten) faces Iowa in Iowa City in what will be the first Big Ten meeting between the two programs. The CFP’s 20th-ranked Hawkeyes (6-2, 4-1) boast a scoring defense allowing only 13.3 points per game this season and a strong rushing attack on offense.

Oregon counters with a prolific offense that was held to 21 points in a win over Wisconsin on Oct. 25, the Ducks’ most recent game, but averages 41.25 points and 483.9 total yards per game this season.

Ducks quarterback Dante Moore is expected to play after he left the Wisconsin game in the second half when he was hit in the face while being tackled and suffered a bloody nose.

Oregon’s defense is also one of the country’s best, allowing just 13.5 points per game.

The Ducks have gone undefeated in their last 10 road games — the nation’s current longest road winning streak — while Iowa is winless in its last 11 games against a ranked opponent.

“There’s some great teams that we’re going to see over the next few weeks, and Iowa certainly sets that off,” Ducks head coach Dan Lanning said this week. “They jumped out fast against a Minnesota team that plays good football and got a big win. So I think this team is probably not getting near enough credit that they deserve for the kind of team that they are.”

The Hawkeyes hammered Minnesota 41-3 at home on Oct. 25, the last time they took the field.

Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski, a graduate transfer from South Dakota State, is the only player in the nation to score a rushing touchdown in every game this season. He has 11 total rushing touchdowns on the year.

The Hawkeyes, like the Ducks, are coming off a bye week. They’re on a three-game winning streak while Oregon has won its last two.

The game could come down to whether Iowa, allowing only 2.6 yards per rushing attempt, can stop Oregon’s ground game, which gains 6.3 yards per rush.

Iowa has a 21-2 record in November over its last 23 games played in the month. The Hawkeyes are 17-3 at Kinnick Stadium in November since 2015.

“Historically, our best teams have gotten better as the year went on,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz told the Des Moines Register. “I think we’ve done that this year, so I certainly think we’re better equipped right now, maybe, to compete with a team like this. But all that being said, it’s still going to be a heck of a challenge. I certainly would rather be playing someone in this type of game in November.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 18, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington (6) scores a rushing touchdown during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

No. 8 Oregon piles up 750 yards in rout of Rutgers

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Eighth-ranked Oregon rebounded from its first regular season loss in two years, rolling over Rutgers 56-10 Saturday night in Piscataway, N.J.

The Ducks (6-1 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) put up 653 yards of total offense after three quarters and 750 for the game, with quarterback Dante Moore completing 15 of 20 passes for 290 yards with four touchdowns and an interception.

It was the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

The Ducks’ ground attack, held below 100 yards against Indiana last week, exploded for 415 on Saturday. Noah Whittington led the way with 11 carries for 125 yards and two scores, plus a receiving touchdown, and Jordon Davison ran for 100 yards on just three carries.

One of those was a 20-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter, giving the Ducks a 49-3 lead.

Running back Dierre Hill Jr. added a touchdown run as Oregon hit the Scarlet Knights for several explosive plays in the win. Hill ran right, then turned upfield and through several defenders for a 35-yard touchdown to make it 56-3.

Tight end Kenyon Sadiq caught four passes for 80 yards, two for touchdowns, and wide receiver Dakorien Moore added 63 yards on two catches, including a touchdown.

Whittington set the tone for the Ducks, who trailed 3-0 early in the game after losing a fumble. On Oregon’s first possession, Whittington took a handoff, ran left toward the sideline and scampered away from four defenders to go 68 yards for his team’s first touchdown.

Rutgers (3-4, 0-4) got a rushing touchdown from Ja’shon Benjamin late in the game. Benjamin led the Scarlet Knights with 69 yards in 18 carries.

Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis was 8 for 25 for 79 yards and threw two interceptions.

Both teams turned the ball over three times, but Oregon had 29 first downs to 12 for Rutgers and the Ducks were 8 of 11 on third down.

–Field Level Media

Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) is tackled by Oregon Ducks linebacker Bryce Boettcher (28) during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

No. 3 Penn State out for payback in ‘White Out’ game vs. No. 6 Oregon

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No. 3 Penn State looks to deliver a little payback in a loud atmosphere when it entertains No. 6 Oregon on Saturday night in a Big Ten showdown in University Park, Pa.

The Ducks defeated the Nittany Lions in last season’s Big Ten championship game, a loss that still smarts for Penn State. The hurt was so deep that Saturday’s contest has been designated as this season’s famed White Out game, where all the Nittany Lions’ fans dress in white.

“Obviously we need this place rocking,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “Need to have a distinct home-field advantage. We always do, but I’m expecting this to be an environment like no one has ever seen.”

Approximately 110,000 fans are expected to attend as the Nittany Lions (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten) strive to be unpleasant hosts to the Ducks (4-0, 1-0).

It will certainly be a raucous atmosphere for Oregon to solve.

“It’s gonna be a great game,” Oregon standout quarterback Dante Moore said. “It’s gonna be a great environment, a hostile environment.”

Moore is the replacement for Dillon Gabriel, who guided the Ducks to the win in last season’s conference title game.

Moore took a few visits to Penn State when he was in high school before choosing UCLA. He left the Bruins after one season, redshirted last season for the Ducks and has stood out early this season with 962 yards and 11 touchdowns against one interception.

“I think he’s one of the calmest, if not the calmest quarterback I’ve ever played with,” Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq said of Moore. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him panic. No, he just does a great job of keeping the vibe and that energy in the huddle very just where it needs to be.”

Sadiq caught two touchdown passes in the Big Ten title game and has scored in three of Oregon’s first four games this season.

Last weekend, Moore established career highs of 305 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-7 rout of visiting Oregon State.

Oregon has outscored its first four opponents 203-37. The Ducks ranks seventh in scoring offense (50.8 points per game) and 12th in total offense (523.8 yards per game).

Penn State is excelling on defense as it ranks third in scoring defense (5.7) and is tied for ninth in total defense (224.0). Star linebacker Dani Dennis-Sutton has 4.5 tackles for loss (including two sacks) and has forced two fumbles.

Of course, the offense is prolific as well with quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen leading the charge.

In last year’s meeting, Allar passed for 226 yards and three touchdowns and added 54 yards and a score on the ground. Singleton had 148 scrimmage yards (105 rushing, 43 receiving) with a touchdown catch and Allen rushed for 124 yards and a score.

Overall, Penn State racked up 297 rushing yards against the Ducks.

“Those guys are really good at sticking their foot in the ground and getting vertical,” Lanning said of the backs. “They’re both different runners. (Singleton) hits it and builds the speed quick. (Allen), he’s playing as good as anybody right now. He’s got great vision, he’s got good patience and he’s able to get vertical as well.”

This season, Allar has passed for 626 yards, four touchdowns and one interception, while Allen has rushed for 273 yards and three scores and Singleton has 179 yards and five scores.

Penn State will be relying on more than its run game. It is definitely counting on the atmosphere being a difference-maker.

“It’s going to be extra loud obviously on Saturday, but I don’t think it’s anything we’re not prepared for,” Dennis-Sutton said. “We’ve been practicing for it for the past two to three months since training camp.”

Oregon running back Noah Whittington is expected back after missing the last two games with an undisclosed injury. He had 82 rushing yards against Penn State in the Big Ten title matchup.

–Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Dakorien Moore (1) dives to score a touchdown defended by Oregon State Beavers defensive back Jalil Tucker (22) during the first quarter of the game at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

No. 6 Oregon crushes rival Oregon State ahead of Penn State showdown

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Sixth-ranked Oregon tuned up for its massive Big Ten showdown at Penn State next weekend with a 41-7 romp over in-state rival Oregon State on Saturday afternoon in Eugene, Ore.

The Ducks (4-0) racked up 585 yards of total offense. Quarterback Dante Moore completed 21 of 31 passes for 305 yards with four touchdowns, and he along with six running backs helped the Ducks run for 280 yards.

Jayden Limar, elevated to the starter with Noah Whittington missing a second straight week with an unspecified injury, ran the ball 12 times for 70 yards to lead the ground game. Moore added 53 rushing yards.

Jordon Davison’s 3-yard touchdown run with 21 seconds left in the first half gave Oregon a 21-7 lead going into halftime.

Moore spread the ball around to eight different pass catchers, four of which caught touchdowns. The longest of those was a 49-yard completion to Gary Bryant Jr. on the second play of the fourth quarter, a pass zipped down the middle to Bryant that he caught in stride.

Oregon State tied the score at 7 late in the first quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by Anthony Hankerson. With the extra point, the Ducks were in a tie game for the first time all season.

But Oregon took the lead for good with 5:40 to play in the second quarter, capping off a 92-yard touchdown drive with Moore’s 23-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kenyon Sadiq.

Oregon State (0-4) punted eight times and lost a fumble. Quarterback Maalik Murphy went 5 of 18 for 68 yards and the Beavers were held to 147 total yards on the afternoon.

Hankerson had 38 rushing yards to lead the Beavers.

Oregon was stopped on downs once, punted twice, and scored on every other drive of the game. The Ducks have won three straight in the series between the programs now in different conferences (Oregon State is in the Pac-12).

Oregon has won 15 of the last 18 meetings in a rivalry that is the second-most played between two in-state rivals in the history of college football.

–Field Level Media