Oregon is preparing for Saturday’s meeting with UCLA with the expectation that Dante Moore will remain on the sideline.
Moore returned to practice this week, but sources told CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz that the Ducks quarterback is “unlikely to play” against the Bruins. Oregon coach Dan Lanning said Monday that Moore was back on the field in shoulder pads and a helmet, though the staff is still easing him back.
“Dante was out there at practice for us today,” Lanning said at his weekly press conference. “Similar to what we said before, we're gonna do what's best for Dante moving forward. ... It was great to see him back out there with his teammates getting to work today.”
Oregon’s first availability report of the week comes Wednesday night, and Moore sounds like a player who would be questionable at best. He has been working his way back from a concussion suffered on Sept. 26 against USC, when Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens Jr. delivered a hard hit as Moore was sliding. Moore had to be stretchered off the field.
Because he is back practicing, Moore would appear to be somewhere at least around Stage 3 of the NCAA’s five-step return-to-play protocol. How he handles the increased workload at practice will help determine when he’s ready to return.
If Moore is held out, Dylan Raiola should get his first start for Oregon. The former five-star recruit transferred from Nebraska in the offseason, and his decision to spend a year in a backup role is already paying off for both him and the Ducks.
Raiola stepped in against USC and threw for 289 yards with two touchdowns in relief of Moore. He may need something similar again Saturday, with UCLA scoring at a high rate under first-year coach Bob Chesney.
Lanning doesn’t sound worried about Raiola handling the job from the opening snap.
“No, there isn't a shift,” Lanning said on Monday. “If he can just play like he played last time every single time, I think we'd be sitting in a really good situation.
Dylan's got to keep doing what he's been doing, preparing like he's going to be the guy who goes out there every single day. We need that from every single person on our team.
We don't need anything special from Dylan other than doing what he's been doing.”
The Oregon coach also pointed to Raiola’s accuracy, saying it has shown up both in practice and in the USC game.
“I think all those things show up,” Lanning said. “He can play quarterback at a high level.
I think he showed his accuracy in this last game and his decision-making. That's shown up for him, and it's shown up for him in practice.
Again, I would just ask him to keep doing the same things he's been doing in practice.”
Raiola has a strong resume for a backup quarterback anywhere in the country: 24 games of experience, 5,232 passing yards and 36 touchdowns. That kind of production should help settle Oregon into a top-25 matchup Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+Premium.
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