An ambulance took Dante Moore off the field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sept. 26, more than 10 minutes after a hit from a USC linebacker left him on his back during Oregon’s 41-27 win. The Ducks have played twice since without their starting quarterback, falling 17-15 to a UCLA team that is now 6-0 and rallying past Nebraska 17-14.
Moore will miss a third straight game Saturday at Illinois after the Big Ten’s availability report listed him as out Wednesday night, along with leading receiver Evan Stewart.
Dan Lanning has said several times that Moore is practicing and throwing, and Moore was spotted throwing passes before each of the last two games without dressing for either. Lanning has declined to give a timeline for his return or say if Moore has cleared concussion protocol.
“I’m not able to tell you that,” Lanning said on Monday when asked about Moore’s medical status.
That answer leaves the Ducks preparing for a road game with the quarterback job still unsettled, after the position changed hands inside each of the last two games.
Oregon QB Dante Moore has been ruled OUT for Saturday’s game vs. Illinois.
Moore will miss his third straight game as he continues to recover from a concussion.
That tough hit has cost Moore a lot of games
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) October 22, 2026
What Oregon’s offense has looked like without Moore
Dylan Raiola replaced Moore at USC and threw for 289 yards in relief. He started against UCLA and gave way to third-string quarterback Brock Thomas in the loss. A week later, Thomas got the start against Nebraska, and Raiola came back in during the fourth quarter to throw the game-winning touchdown.
Oregon scored at least 31 points in each of its first four games, a run that included 84 against FCS opponent Portland State. The 15 points against UCLA and 17 against Nebraska are the Ducks’ two lowest totals of the season, and both came with Moore watching from the sideline.
Stewart, who has team highs of 27 catches, 352 yards and four touchdowns, will miss a second straight game. Oregon lists him out with an undisclosed injury after he was arrested early Sunday in Springfield, Oregon, on a charge of driving under the influence of intoxicants.
Tight end Jamari Johnson, who was cited for speeding in the Springfield area early that same Sunday, was not on the availability report. He has 17 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns this season and is in line to play Saturday.
Lanning has not named a starter for Illinois. Raiola, coming off the Nebraska comeback, was the quarterback Oregon made available to reporters Wednesday, with Thomas not among those who spoke.
Kickoff at Gies Memorial Stadium is set for 3 p.m. ET on BTN. Northwestern visits Autzen Stadium on Oct. 31, and Oregon travels to Ohio State on Nov. 7.
The post Oregon Receives More Bad News on Dante Moore Ahead of Illinois Showdown appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.