Dante Moore’s night against USC ended abruptly after a frightening hit from linebacker Desman Stephens. Five days later, the Oregon quarterback is making progress in recovery, but the bigger question remains: When will he return? With his availability still uncertain, Ducks head coach Dan Lanning has now stepped forward with an update.
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“Still going through the process there with him, so it’s great to know that he’s healthy and doing well,” said Lanning.
While the controversial hit continues to dominate the conversation, Lanning is already looking ahead. The Ducks are ready to turn the page, shifting their attention to upcoming challenges rather than dwelling on the incident or celebrating their victory over the Trojans.
“I’m done talking about this game, guys. Let’s move to this [coming game]. I appreciate all the questions about this. I get it, but we’re about to play a UCLA team that reminds me a lot of Indiana from last year, right? Great staff, and let’s just be honest, we’re not remotely close to what we need to be. We’re not remotely close. So no offense to the question, but like, we can’t spend a week talking about a game that happened last Saturday,” Lanning concluded, making it clear that he had no intention of revisiting the controversial matchup.
Moore was having a fine game against the Trojans when the injury happened. USC linebacker Desman Stephens II struck him as he slid after trying to gain some yards with his legs. The Oregon quarterback lay motionless on the field before being rushed to Los Angeles General Medical Center for evaluation.
While the hit was bad enough, Stephens’ reaction as Moore was being evaluated on the field made it far worse. He was celebrating with his teammates rather than showing a degree of concern for the Oregon QB.
Moore was later diagnosed with a concussion, although clean MRI and CT scans revealed no additional injuries. Meanwhile, USC handed Stephens a one-game suspension for the hit and his subsequent actions.
Following his hospital discharge, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore returned to Eugene to rejoin the Ducks. The young signal-caller will now enter concussion protocol as he focuses on recovery and works towards his return to the field.
On Monday afternoon, Moore took to Instagram to reassure fans that he is making progress in his recovery and is eager to return to the field.
“I can only worry about today, and making sure I give today my full attention. I’ll be back soon. Go Ducks!” he wrote on his Instagram.
With Moore sidelined following the frightening hit, Dylan Raiola seized his opportunity to lead Oregon’s offense. The backup quarterback delivered 289 passing yards and two touchdowns on 19-of-25 passing, guiding the Ducks to a commanding 41-27 win over USC.
The victory improved Oregon’s record to 3-1, while the Trojans suffered their first defeat of the season, falling to 4-1.
When will Dante Moore make his return to the gridiron?
Although Oregon has yet to announce an official return timeline, pinpointing when Moore could be back remains difficult. However, a closer look at his recovery progress and similar injury cases could offer valuable clues. Before diving into those possibilities, let’s examine why Moore could still suit up for the next game.
With a Week 5 bye on October 3, Oregon has an extra week to regroup before returning to action against UCLA on October 10. The extended break also gives the Ducks valuable time to assess Dante Moore’s recovery and determine whether he will be ready to return.
Recently, Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent suffered a concussion during the team’s September 20 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. With a Monday night game up next, Bagent had an extra day to recover, returning to practice six days later. He was cleared of all injury designations on September 27 and available for the Bears’ September 28 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Similarly, last year, CeeDee Lamb suffered a frightening concussion during Thursday Night Football against the Detroit Lions on December 4. However, thanks to the Cowboys’ mini-bye, he completed the 10-day concussion protocol by December 12 without missing a game
These examples suggest Dante Moore could return against UCLA. However, even if he sits out, Dan Lanning and Co. have Dylan Raiola ready to step in, having already proved his worth with a standout performance.
“He’s proven he can play winning football for us, and has a skill set that’ll be advantageous for us to have,” Lanning said.