Quarterback Dante Moore returned to practice with No. 13 Oregon this week but he remains in the concussion protocol and won't play on Saturday when the Ducks host UCLA.
Moore sustained the concussion in a late hit by linebacker Desman Stephens during the second quarter of the Ducks’ 41-27 victory over Southern California on Sept. 26. Moore was placed on a stretcher and left the game in an ambulance.
Oregon backup Dylan Raiola took over and threw for
289 yards and two touchdowns against the Trojans.
Raiola will get the nod again for the Ducks (3-1, 1-0 Big 10) on Saturday against the No. 21 Bruins (4-0, 2-0) at Autzen Stadium.
“He had an expectation when he stepped out there on the field and performed at a really, really high level, and everybody had confidence in him because they see him do it a lot in practice,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said about Raiola. “You get a lot of reps in practice, regardless of where you’re sitting.”
Raiola transferred to Oregon after starting two seasons at Nebraska, knowing Moore was likely the starter. He has thrown for 413 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions in two appearances this season. Saturday will be his first start for the Ducks.
“It’s totally different systems than what he was running before, so I think you got to build confidence in the system, and that takes time, especially when you ask the quarterback to do as much as we ask the quarterback to do,” Lanning said. “You know, whether it’s checks on plays or just the length of a call, right? It’s a little bit different. There’s a lot of variables in there, and it takes some time to get comfortable with it, even when you’re really cerebral and intelligent like Dylan is.”
UCLA coach Bob Chesney said Moore and Raiola are similar quarterbacks.
"They’re both very, very good football players. You can’t really think one way or the other who’s going to be out there and who’s not,” Chesney said. "We've got to prepare for both. But really, the good thing is that it’s not like the second kid can’t throw and is only a runner and has to change everything we’re doing."
The Ducks have already turned the page from the USC game and everything that came with it, from the worry over Moore's condition to the joy in the victory, Raiola said.
“Ultimately, the end of the day, our goal is to to win and go 1-0 that week. Very proud of how we fought through the ups and the downs and the moments of that game, we we came out on the other side strong, Raiola said. ”But on the flip side, kind of put that game to bed last week and been preparing because we've got got a really, really good football team coming to town."
While Moore has returned to practice, he was listed on league’s availability report as out for Saturday and still must complete several benchmarks before he can play in a game. But the team was boosted by his return to practice, even if it is in a limited capacity.
“I think the biggest thing is just being able to see a smile on his face to get around and be around his teammates and his brothers and do that at a high level,” Lanning said. “Everybody has a smile on their face getting to see Dante out there with us this week, and it’s been fun seeing him compete.”
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