Dez Bryant was in the building for Dakorien Moore long before the Oregon receiver turned Ohio Stadium into his stage.
Bryant watched Moore’s final high school game in Texas nearly two years ago, and on Saturday he made sure everybody knew he was still paying attention. After Moore hauled in a one-handed touchdown in front of 103,551 fans in Columbus, Bryant reposted the highlight and gave the Ducks star a new label: “Baby Goat (greatest of all time.)
“I told yall that’s baby (goat emoji),” Bryant wrote on X.
Moore didn’t let that sit there without a response.
“We still gotta show em unc (world emoji),” Moore wrote.
The catch itself was the kind of play that stops a stadium cold. With Ohio State cornerback Dominick Kelly hanging all over him, Moore kept drifting toward the back corner of the end zone as Dylan Raiola lofted the ball his way.
Moore turned back, reached with one hand and secured the pass before landing in bounds for an 11-yard score. The touchdown stretched Oregon’s lead to 31-14 in the third quarter of a 41-28 upset over the then-No.
12 Buckeyes.
For Moore, the Bryant connection goes beyond a social media shoutout. Oregon Ducks on SI reporter Bri Amaranthus asked him about the relationship, and Moore pointed back to his last game at Duncanville High School against North Crowley.
“If I’m being honest, it means a lot,” Moore said. “He came to my last high school game where we played North Crowley. Of course, we lost that game, but just the plays that I made and just seeing the excitement that he had - his enthusiasm that he was giving me, - just turned me up in that game.”
Moore grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and became one of the country’s most sought-after recruits at Duncanville. Having one of the most accomplished receivers in Cowboys history follow his journey has clearly meant something to him, especially with Bryant’s public praise continuing into his college career.
“So seeing what he tweeted, just the fan base that he has, just shows a lot of love, and I have a lot of love and respect for him,” Moore said.
The production has matched the spotlight lately. Moore led Oregon in Columbus with seven catches for 56 yards, and the one-handed grab was his team-leading seventh touchdown reception of the season. Over his last four games, he has 30 catches for 290 yards and three touchdowns.
A week earlier, Moore found the end zone twice against Northwestern, including a 75-yard touchdown from Raiola. Oregon has now posted 34 and 41 points in back-to-back wins over ranked opponents since Jay Johnson took over play-calling duties. The Ducks are 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play with three regular-season games left.
It has not been a smooth ride for Oregon. Starting quarterback Dante Moore suffered a concussion that is expected to be season-ending, and the Ducks have had to adjust as the year has unfolded differently than expected. Still, if Oregon wins its final three games, ESPN’s FPI gives the Ducks a 24.9 percent chance to reach the College Football Playoff.
Moore said the simplest part of football is still what drives him.
“Just being that I’ll get the opportunity to go out there and play football is motivating me itself,” Moore told Amaranthus. “I grew up playing this game.
We always say it’s a child’s game. Go out there, have fun, just let loose.
So that’s what I pride myself on every time I step on the field.”
Oregon’s next chance comes at home against Michigan on Nov. 14 at 12:30 p.m. PT.
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