Oregon head coach Dan Lanning confirmed Monday that quarterback Dante Moore’s season is finished following a concussion sustained against USC on Sept. 26. The Ducks will enter Saturday’s 12:30 p.m. matchup against No. 18 Northwestern at Autzen Stadium without their starting signal-caller, a significant blow to the offense. Lanning stated he does not anticipate Moore’s return in 2026, forcing the program to rely on its backup quarterback for the remainder of the campaign.
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While the loss of Moore is a major setback, Oregon’s wide receiver group is poised to return to full strength. Evan Stewart, Messiah Hampton, and Jalen Lott were notably absent from the Big Ten availability report released Oct. 28, signaling their return to the lineup. All three missed last week’s loss to Illinois for undisclosed reasons, with Stewart’s absence marking his second consecutive game missed after he had been the team’s leading receiver. Their return provides a critical boost to the passing attack as the Ducks look to bounce back.
The official injury report listed seven players as out for Saturday’s contest, all of whom were previously announced as injured. In addition to Moore, the list includes receiver Jeremiah McClellan (foot), safety Aaron Flowers (shoulder), offensive linemen Trent Ferguson (knee) and Dave Iuli (undisclosed), linebacker Brayden Platt (undisclosed), and defensive lineman Matt Johnson (undisclosed). With no new surprises in the report, Oregon’s focus shifts to leveraging its restored receiving corps to overcome the quarterback transition against a ranked Northwestern squad.
Source: Yahoo Sports
