Moore’s Career-Best Performance Powers No. 6 Oregon Past Rival Oregon State, 41–7

Lydia Ely/AP

EUGENE, Ore. — On a night that carried the weight of history and future uncertainty, Dante Moore delivered the best game of his young career. The sophomore quarterback threw for 305 yards and a career-high four touchdowns as No. 6 Oregon rolled to a dominant 41–7 victory over Oregon State on Saturday.

The Ducks (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) piled up 585 yards of total offense in front of a raucous Autzen Stadium crowd, spreading Moore’s scoring strikes across four different receivers. The win not only kept Oregon unbeaten but also gave Moore a personal measure of redemption.

Back in 2023, Moore’s freshman season at UCLA ended painfully in Corvallis, where he threw three interceptions in a 36–24 loss to the Beavers. After transferring to Oregon, the young signal-caller admitted he carried those memories into Saturday’s matchup.

“Personally it was me remembering my 18-year-old self when I played at Oregon State,” Moore said after the game. “I was mentally depressed the way things were going. Everybody knows the struggles I was having, and I kind of just used that as fuel to make sure I never get that feeling again.”

Game Recap

Oregon wasted no time seizing control. Freshman standout Dakorien Moore opened the scoring on the Ducks’ first drive with a 22-yard touchdown catch. Oregon State (0-4) briefly showed resilience, tying the game at 7 when Anthony Hankerson punched in a 1-yard touchdown late in the first quarter.

From there, Oregon took over. Moore connected with Sadiq Kenyon for a 23-yard touchdown, and running back Jordon Davison added a 3-yard scoring run to put the Ducks ahead 21–7 at halftime.

In the second half, the Ducks buried their rivals. Moore tossed a 13-yard touchdown to Jeremiah McClellan, kicker Atticus Sappington drilled two field goals, and Gary Bryant Jr. hauled in a 49-yard bomb to seal the 41–7 rout.

“We need to be that team for four quarters,” Oregon State head coach Trent Bray said. “It’s a tale of two halves, and this is how good we’re capable of being in that first half.”

Rivalry on Hold

The lopsided win came with added poignancy. The Oregon-Oregon State rivalry, one of the oldest in college football dating back to 1894, will be paused next season due to scheduling complications following the Pac-12’s collapse. The game is expected to return in 2027.

For decades, the rivalry was the season finale, often carrying significant bowl implications. But Oregon has moved into the Big Ten, where the Ducks won the conference championship last season, while Oregon State and Washington State are rebuilding the remnants of the Pac-12 with a mix of Mountain West programs.

Looking Ahead

For Oregon, the focus now shifts to what could be its biggest test of the season: a road trip to face No. 2 Penn State next Saturday. The Nittany Lions were idle this weekend and are expected to be fresh for the top-10 showdown.

“Down the road there’s going to be many things that don’t go our way,” Moore said. “But I feel that overall, we’ve been facing adversity pretty well when it’s happened. We’re just having fun with the game of football.”