Nick Saban thinks Dante Moore is set up for a big one.
That’s the headline heading into Saturday’s Big Ten showdown, when No. 20 Oregon meets No.
12 USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in one of the marquee games on a loaded Week 4 college football slate. The Ducks and Trojans bring plenty of intrigue, but the spotlight sits squarely on the quarterbacks: Oregon’s Moore against USC’s Jayden Maiava.
Both passers are viewed as key pieces in their teams’ push toward the CFP this season, and Saturday’s matchup could go a long way in deciding who leaves the Coliseum with the bigger statement. For Oregon, the trip also carries a little extra weight.
Dan Lanning’s team has not lost a road game in Big Ten play, though its 12-game road winning streak dating back to 2023 was snapped in a 39-31 loss to Oklahoma State on Sept. 12.
Saban sees Moore as the kind of talent who can take over if the Ducks’ offense does its part around him.
“He struggled against ranked opponents in the past, with some turnovers, but I do think the important thing for Oregon is their offensive team plays better around him, because I think he’s a very talented guy and very capable of having a big day,” Saban said on College GameDay.
Moore’s response to the Oklahoma State loss was encouraging. In Oregon’s 84-0 win over Portland State, he threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns while completing 19 of 23 passes. Now he gets a chance to do it against a USC defense that has had issues in the secondary under new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson.
Oregon’s offense is still trying to find its rhythm under new coordinator Drew Mehringer, and this game offers a major test in a loud road setting. It also comes against a USC program still chasing that signature win under Lincoln Riley - the kind that could push the Trojans toward their first CFP appearance in school history.
The recent history in this matchup leans Oregon’s way. USC has not beaten the Ducks since 2016, and Oregon has won four straight in a run that began in 2019. The latest DraftKings Sportsbook line has USC as a 3.5-point underdog.
Not everyone on College GameDay is leaning the same way, though. Stanford Steve went against the grain and picked USC outright to stay undefeated.
A Trojans win would also stretch their home winning streak at the Coliseum to 11 games. USC went unbeaten at home last season, finishing 9-4 with an Alamo Bowl loss to TCU and three regular-season road defeats to Illinois, Notre Dame and Oregon.
Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. PT, with NBC carrying the game.
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USC Now Faces One Costly Question After The Oregon Loss
The loss to Oregon left USC with more than just a mark in the standings. In a top-20 showdown that ended 41-27, the Trojans got production from a few key places, including wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, who paced the offense with seven catches for 114 yards and a touchdown, and running back King Miller, who added 74 rushing yards. On defense, Jahkeem Stewart was back in the lineup, giving USC another body in a game that demanded everything.
Desman Stephens IIs ejection for targeting added another layer to an already costly afternoon, especially after the hit that injured Oregon quarterback Dante Moore. USC has spent enough time this season trying to piece together consistency, and games like this tend to sharpen the bigger question around discipline and availability as much as execution. The Trojans left with the more immediate concern of what the loss means in the moment, but also with the kind of looming issue that can shape the next stretch if it is not cleaned up quickly. [Read more 🡒]
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Lincoln Riley Faces A USC Decision Fans Can't Ignore
The hit that sent Oregon quarterback Dante Moore to the hospital during USCs game against Oregon has put Desman Stephens and the Trojans in the middle of an ugly moment that has lingered well beyond the final whistle. Stephens celebrated after the collision and showed no remorse, and the reaction was swift, with calls growing for USC to suspend or dismiss him from the football program.
Lincoln Riley now faces the kind of decision that reaches beyond one player and into the standards of the program itself. The episode has sharpened questions about accountability and the culture around USC football, because this is no longer just about a controversial play, but about what the Trojans are willing to tolerate when the spotlight turns harsh. [Read more 🡒]