Oregon entered 2026 with Dante Moore looking like the quarterback destined to lead its title charge. After throwing for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns last season, his return increased expectations in Eugene. But two games into the 2026 campaign, the story has taken an unexpected turn, especially after Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker stole Moore’s spotlight in Week 2.

“And you look at the stats afterward, and they were outgained 554 yards for Oklahoma State and 281 yards for Oregon. I had someone tell me that there were a million scouts at that game in Stillwater to look at the quarterbacks,” said ESPN’s Matt Barrie in his conversation with Paul Finebaum on September 13.

The Oregon–Oklahoma State clash drew nearly 20 NFL scouts, according to ESPN’s Max Olson, turning the matchup into a major stage for quarterback evaluation. Former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was also reportedly in attendance, alongside multiple senior NFL personnel eager to get a closer look at the quarterbacks.

This simple fact is why Barrie believes returning to Oregon was a bad play by Moore, especially considering that he got outclassed by Drew Mestemaker.

“There was one that was talking to a media member that I know that said Drew Mestemaker, the kid that didn’t even have offers out of high school and was a backup high school quarterback, was the one that outplayed a presumptive top three pick in Dante Moore in the draft,” said Barrie.

Oklahoma State’s stunning triumph was fueled by Drew Mestemaker’s spectacular all-around performance. The quarterback carved up Oregon for 317 passing yards and two touchdowns while adding 109 yards and a score on the ground.

The Cowboys’ stunning win sent an early shockwave through the 2026 season, snapping their 21-game losing streak against FBS opponents in the process. They controlled the contest from the opening whistle, overwhelming Oregon 554–281 in total offense while running 83 plays and rushing for 237 yards. As for Dante Moore, they kept him in check, limiting him to just 191 yards on 14-of-29 passing.

This sudden dip in his performance might not sit well with scouts, especially after he shocked the football world by choosing to return to Oregon for the 2026 season rather than entering the 2026 NFL Draft, when many experts believed he could have easily been a top-five, or even a top-two, draft pick.

“We didn’t have a lot of rhythm on offense; defensively, we gave up way too many explosives, some poor eye discipline, not winning at the point of attack,” Dan Lanning said after the game. “Our guys are much more capable of that, so all that starts with me. I didn’t prepare our guys well enough.”

Speaking of Oregon, they entered the season ranked No. 2 in the AP preseason poll. After Week 1, they dropped to No. 6, but following the loss to the Cowboys, experts are predicting they could fall out of the top 15. That said, their next matchup against the Portland State Vikings will be crucial for both the Ducks and Moore.

At the moment, it’s unclear why the offense is still struggling. Is it because it has become one-dimensional? Are the Ducks missing Will Stein? What happened to all their weapons? For Dan Lanning, the major issue is that there are apparent holes on both sides of the ball.

The Oregon pass rush was ineffective, and the secondary couldn’t do anything. But the focus will always be on the QB1, especially since Dante Moore returned for the 2026 campaign to lead Dan Lanning’s team to glory. The move didn’t work for Cade Klubnik and Garrett Nussmeier last season. Will Moore have a similar season?