The No. 13 Oregon Ducks entered troubling territory Saturday afternoon after suffering a 17-15 loss to the No. 21 UCLA Bruins.
Star quarterback Dante Moore remained sidelined as he continues to recover from the concussion he suffered two weeks ago against USC. In his absence, Dylan Raiola got the start, but things didn’t go as planned.
The Ducks committed six turnovers, and Raiola was ultimately replaced in the fourth quarter by third-string quarterback Brock Thomas, who helped Oregon mount a late comeback attempt.
Dan Lanning Drops Troubling Quote on Moore
Now, Oregon fans are wondering when Moore will be able to return to the field.
However, head coach Dan Lanning’s postgame response to that question didn’t sound particularly optimistic. He also didn’t rule out the possibility of Moore sitting out the rest of the season.
“It’s a continued discussion,” Lanning said, via Zachary Neel of USA Today. “I don’t want to put words in my mouth, or Dante’s, on that. Something we’ve said from the beginning is that we’re going to move with an abundance of caution, continue to get out and check, but it won’t be just a sprint just to say, ‘Okay, he’s back out there no matter what’ We’ll continue to have those conversations. He’s been practicing with his team. You know, I anticipate that there’s going to be an opportunity for him to be back out there, but it would be unfair for me to say that right now.”
Dan Lanning was asked about the possibility that Dante Moore doesn’t return this season as they continue to monitor his head injury. https://t.co/9QdjEU27bk
— Zachary Neel (@zacharycneel) October 11, 2026
Oregon Right Now
If Moore is healthy, he could return at some point in the foreseeable future. However, he’s also a projected first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, so staying healthy will be critical moving forward. Lanning appears to understand that.
The Ducks return to action next week at home against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and their margin for error is now almost nonexistent. Another loss, even against Ohio State in a couple of weeks, would likely end their chances of competing for a Big Ten title or reaching the College Football Playoff.
Dan Lanning Drops Troubling Quote on QB Dante Moore After Oregon Loss