EUGENE - Dakorien Moore already gave Oregon fans the kind of flash play that can light up Autzen Stadium for days. The 62-yard touchdown against Boise State had all the ingredients: speed, space, missed tackles and a finish that sent the crowd to its feet. It was the kind of grab-and-go burst that can define a highlight reel.
But for Dan Lanning, that wasn’t the moment that stood out most.
When asked about Moore’s recent growth, the Oregon coach pointed to a quieter snap from the win - one that said more about the receiver’s development than the score did.
“Everybody’s going to highlight the touchdown he had last week,” Lanning said. “My favorite play is the screen to J-Mac where he runs all the way from the other side of the field to go get involved in a block.”
That effort, in Lanning’s view, is part of what can make Moore so dangerous. The talent is obvious. The edge comes from everything else he’s doing around it.
“Our best version of Dakorien is when we get the opportunity to say, ‘Hey, this route has to be run here. I need to catch this technique here,’ and he receives that and attacks that,” Lanning said. “He has great success on the field, and certainly had that this last week.”
Moore’s speed has been on display all along, and he also turned heads in track and field this spring. Still, Lanning keeps coming back to the work that doesn’t always make the cut for the big clips.
“His career so far here has been highlighted by some moments like that, whether it’s a block early in the season last year where he’s even blocking the wrong guy, but he’s doing it with unbelievable effort,” Lanning said.
“When this guy really pushes himself, he can obviously be really special. I feel like he’s pushed himself the last week.
He’s pushed himself through practice this week and really been coachable, which has been awesome to see. That impacts everybody that’s around him.”
The production backed up the praise. In Oregon’s 34-27 win over Boise State, Moore caught six passes for 93 yards and kept his streak alive with at least one reception in all 12 career games he has played.
Lanning also pointed to the way Moore handles the game mentally. The coach said the receiver has shown maturity in how he reacts after both good and bad moments.
“Just not riding the highs and lows of the game, which I think is human nature,” Lanning said. “You have success, everything’s going good, you’re excited. When it doesn’t go right, you’re down in the dumps.”
“I think he’s been a guy that’s been pretty composed throughout moments,” Lanning said. “I think you also notice his internal triggers.
It doesn’t go well? Okay, this is my chance to hit the reset button.”
That ability to move on quickly matters to Lanning just as much as the physical gifts.
“I think that’s where a lot of his maturity has shown up,” Lanning said. “If something doesn’t go right, 'Okay, it doesn’t matter. What are we going to do on the next play?'”
Moore, for his part, said after Wednesday’s practice that he is ready for what comes next: “Physical update, I’m perfectly fine and ready to go do what I have to do."
That matters as Oregon heads to its first road game of the season against Oklahoma State. The Ducks will face a hot, possibly stormy matchup against a Cowboys team led by coach Eric Morris in his home debut.
The 11 a.m. CT kickoff will land like 9 a.m. on Oregon’s internal clocks, and Lanning said the Ducks will travel to Stillwater on Thursday, a day earlier than usual, to give players more time to adjust after crossing multiple time zones.
Moore’s breakout against Boise State showed the game-breaking ceiling. What has Lanning most encouraged, though, is the way the receiver is handling the details, the coaching and the effort that go into making that ceiling even higher.
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Boise State Just Took A Recruiting Hit Fans Will Notice
Boise States 2027 recruiting class took a notable early blow when Kingston Parks, a three-star wide receiver from Aledo High School in Texas, announced he is no longer committed to head coach Spencer Danielson and the Broncos. Parks had already taken a winding path to this point, first committing to Utah, then backing off that pledge before landing with Boise State, which made his departure feel especially abrupt for a program trying to build momentum on the recruiting trail.
The Broncos still have 14 known commitments in the class, and wide receiver is not completely empty behind Parks, with JIsaiah Mitchell already in the fold. Even so, losing a pass-catcher with Parks profile is the kind of setback fans notice, especially this early in the cycle, and it leaves Boise State with another position group to keep recruiting hard as the 2027 class continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
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Dan Lanning made it clear after the game that the wideouts and offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer were a big reason Oregons offense clicked so well. For Boise State, the bigger concern is obvious: the Ducks found enough matchup wins at receiver to keep the Broncos on their heels even with the game hanging in the balance, and the path those targets created is the part Boise State will be dissecting long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons Boise State Win Just Took On A Different Look
Oregons narrow win over Boise State in Week 1 looks a little different now that the Ducks and their next opponent have both stumbled in the FPI. Oregon still sits high at No. 8 with a 22.7 rating, but it also took a small hit after escaping Boise State, while Oklahoma State fell even further after its loss to Tulsa and now checks in at No. 72 with a negative rating.
For the Broncos, the bigger takeaway is how quickly the Cowboys are trying to sort through early-season problems. Oklahoma State is leaning on a roster full of newcomers, including quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who arrived from North Texas, and now must also absorb a major change up front after losing its starting left tackle for the season. How that reshuffle holds up in Week 2 is another complication for a team already searching for answers. [Read more 🡒]