Oregon’s seventh win this season was all about the next-man-up mentality. It all happened when Dante Moore went down hard in the third quarter with a bloody nose after a brutal shot to the face. Up until that point, the Ducks’ offense had been grinding slowly. They had put together just one methodical 99-yard scoring drive with Moore behind center. As soon as the incident happened, Dan Lanning quickly called in backup quarterback Brock Thomas to take the field. He had to justify that decision, despite the win.

After the game ended with a 21-7 score line in favor of the Ducks, Thomas got a hero’s welcome in the locker room, as Dan Lanning told critics to “stop worrying.” The players huddled around him and carried him on their shoulders. But when a new QB takes the field, fans wonder if he can outshine the starter. During the post-game press conference, a reporter asked how Thomas felt being carried into the locker room on his teammates’ shoulders, silencing all doubts. But before he could answer, Dante Moore shouted from behind “I love you, Brock. You did your thing today, baby,” defending Lanning’s belief in Thomas.

Thomas went a perfect 4-for-4 passing for 46 yards, and engineered two second-half touchdown drives. On a second down, Thomas faked the handoff and floated a soft pass to tackle Gernorris Wilson, who was wide open in the end zone for a one-yard touchdown. It was Thomas’s first as a Duck and Wilson’s second. He also made a few clutch throws, including a 24-yarder to Dakorien Moore that took them to the 15. Thomas even pulled off a wild 19-yard pass to Dakorien Moore that bounced off a Wisconsin defender.

Drives like that gave Oregon just enough breathing room for the defense to clamp down. His main job was to play it safe, while the running backs carried the rest of the load. Thomas said, “It was really cool to be out there with all the guys.” He added, “They put their trust in me. I felt confident. … think there were a couple of plays that I definitely want back. I think going out there and operating and being clean was what I wanted to do.” Noah Whittington and Jordon Davison teamed up for 199 rushing yards. Davison really stole the show, leading the ground game with 102 yards on 16 carries and even grabbing the game’s MVP honors.

They had to step up big time, though. It’s because once Dante Moore went down, the Ducks were all-in on the run game. That’s why against the Badgers, Oregon managed just 335 total yards. They dropped 750 on Rutgers in Jersey last week, making this a huge drop. That said, Brock Thomas really shone against the Badgers with his perfect passes, and Dan Lanning didn’t shy away from defending him during the post-game pressers.

Dan Lanning’s defensive take on his QB call

In spite of the win, there were some fans critical of the decision to have a walk on getting playtime instead of one of their prized recruits. That’s why when the reporters asked about this, Dan Lanning was pretty defensive about it. “Our players see it every day in practice. When has Brock come in and not performed well for us this season? He’s done what we’ve asked him to do every time he’s come in,” Lanning said.

“People should stop worrying about it. And they should also know that those other quarterbacks are doing a really good job in practice, too, but Brock’s playing well. Watch the film.” As of now, this season for Oregon, Thomas has gone 9-for-13 for 105 yards and a touchdown, plus he’s added eight carries for 14 yards on the ground. He sincerely did his job whenever they called on him.

Plus, the post-game antics also sum up Brock’s effective contribution in the game. The Ducks carried him on their shoulders to the locker room, celebrating his performance. But now the point of concern is Dante Moore’s injury status. Lanning said Moore’s injury was more precautionary than serious, adding, “Got hit pretty good and it looks like he’s in great shape now.” However, the Ducks have a moment of relief with their bye week before they clash with the Hawkeyes in week 11.