Dante Moore did not have his cleanest afternoon, but when the game demanded poise, he delivered it.
After Iowa nudged ahead 16-15 in the final two minutes, the Oregon quarterback—short on top targets and battling cold rain—strung together the throws and decisions that mattered, pushing the Ducks into range for the winning kick in an 18-16 escape that kept their playoff push intact.
Oregon leaned on a three-back rotation and a rugged defense for most of the day, then asked its young quarterback to finish. He did, as noticed by 247 Sports.
Asked to unpack the final march, Moore said it felt like the two-minute periods Oregon grinds through in practice, with coach Dan Lanning putting the offense in tough spots so the moment feels familiar. He credited wideout Malik for answering when his number was called on the sideline shot that flipped field position, and he praised the huddle for locking eyes and staying on the same page despite Iowa’s disguises.
On Atticus Sappington’s decisive kick, Moore described an unusual calm, recalling the first time he noticed the kicker piling up points years ago. He added that in Big Ten games, red-zone stalls happen, and great teams know how to bank points. Moore stood with Noah and Ryder to watch the kick split the uprights and called the feeling pure relief.
The numbers will not sparkle, and they do not need to. Moore finished with modest passing totals and an interception, but he also chipped in on the ground while Noah Whittington, Jordan Davis, and Dierre Hill Jr. kept the chains moving.
With Dakorien Moore and Kenyon Sadiq out and Gary Bryant Jr. exiting early, Oregon simplified, trusted the line, and played November football. The defense did its part by squeezing Iowa’s passing windows and winning situational downs that bought Moore one last chance to write the ending.
Draft chatter will follow every snap he takes, and the board will swing with it. Mel Kiper’s first 2026 list still has Moore at the top, lauding his touch, arm-angle versatility, and poise on the move, while noting his limited starting experience and one rough day against Indiana. The projection remains a calm distributor with field-stretching juice who fits near the top of a quarterback class full of questions.
Minnesota awaits next, and Oregon’s margin for error is thin. What they gained in Iowa City, though, is portable: a defense that travels, a run game that shortens games, and a quarterback who just proved he can breathe when the clock squeezes.
https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/oregon-football-news-what-moore-said-about-his-game-winning-drive-beat-iowa
