Copyright Athlon Sports
Dante Moore and the No. 6 Oregon Ducks are taking on the No. 20 Iowa Hawkeyes with a chance to win their third straight game. At 7-1, Oregon’s only loss comes to the Indiana Hoosiers. Much of the team’s success can be attributed to Moore, who in the first eight games has completed 145-of-203 passes for 1,772 yards, 19 touchdowns and four interceptions. He’s also rushed for 131 yards on 40 carries. Unfortunately, against Iowa, he’s without one of his key weapons in freshman wide receiver Dakorien Moore. Before the game kicked off at 3:30 p.m. ET, he was ruled out with an injury. Losing the freshman receiver for even one game is a big loss, and the potential of a long-term injury would be devastating. Luckily, though, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported that Moore’s injury is not believed to be season-ending. “The injury sustained by Oregon star wide receiver Dakorien Moore is not currently believed to be a season-ending injury, sources tell @CBSSports,” Zenitz wrote. That’s especially exciting for Dante, who has relied heavily on Dakorien. This season, he’s established himself as Oregon’s top receiver. Through the Ducks’ first eight games, he led in receptions (28), yards (443) and was tied for the third most touchdowns (three). His ability to immediately make an impact for Oregon doesn’t come as a major surprise. Coming out of high school, Rivals Industry Rankings placed him as a five-star recruit and the No. 1 wide receiver. Even after the Ducks’ first win of the season, head coach Dan Lanning had high praise for Moore, saying, “Dakorien is gonna be a really special player for us. I don’t think anybody’s surprised about that.” He may be out against Iowa, but there’s hope he can return for Oregon’s Week 12 matchup against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
