Oregon quarterback Dante Moore won’t be back on the field this season, coach Dan Lanning announced Monday night. That’s it, folks. The senior signal-caller is officially done, caught in concussion protocol since late September, leaving an already reeling Ducks team without their star.
The Gut Punch No One Saw Coming
Moore, who opted to return for his senior year instead of heading to the NFL where he could have been a top-10 pick, hasn’t played since taking a late hit against Southern California. He’d shown flashes, throwing for 926 yards and nine touchdowns with zero interceptions in his first four games. That’s the guy who had everyone buzzing in Eugene. But he’s been stuck in concussion protocol since, only resuming practice earlier this month. Now, Lanning has confirmed what many feared: he’s sidelined for good. It’s a brutal blow for a player who gambled on one more year to boost his stock and for a team that had sky-high expectations.
The Collapse Is Real, And It’s Ugly
Since Moore went down, Dylan Raiola has been starting under center, and things haven’t exactly been going Oregon’s way. Remember when the Ducks kicked off the season ranked second in the nation? Yeah, that feels like a lifetime ago. They’ve tumbled to a 4-3 record and have completely fallen out of the AP Top 25. The frustration is palpable, hitting a boiling point when offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer was fired on Sunday, right after they took a tough loss to Illinois. It’s not just a rough patch; it’s a full-blown crisis in Eugene.
With Moore out for the season and the team in freefall, the Ducks are staring down an incredibly challenging stretch. It’s about finding some shred of pride and finishing strong now, because the lofty goals they started with? They’re long gone. It’s going to be a long remainder of the season for Oregon.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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