Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel exited for a play in the first half of Friday’s Big Ten home opener against the Michigan State Spartans. After being hit on a throw, Gabriel went down with an apparent injury and was treated by Oregon’s athletic trainers. As a result, he was required to leave the field for a play.

Backup Dante Moore entered, which officially marked his Big Ten debut.

Moore then took over the reins for good in the fourth quarter before the Ducks secured the 31-10 win. On Moore’s first full drive, Oregon went three-and-out after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on second down set the Ducks back. After that, Moore completed a seven-yard pass to Jurrion Dickey before running for six yards on 3rd and 18.

He wasn’t able to see anymore significant action, as the Spartans drained out most of the remaining clock before knocking in a field goal with 10 seconds to play. Moore then took the final kneel down to seal the win.

In a short sample size, Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning still had high praise for the backup quarterback.

“What he shows on the game field is the same things we see in practice,” said Lanning. “I think he was able to operate cleanly tonight, but I want to be able and go watch the tape and see what I can pick from that.”

Moore, a transfer from UCLA, fixes to be the starter for the Ducks once Gabriel moves on next season. He said prior to the 2024 campaign that he’s feeling “way more comfortable.”

“Overall, going through fall camp, I’m way more comfortable,” Moore said. “Checking calls, checking protections — I’m just feeling more comfortable from what Coach Stein has taught us.”

Last season with the Bruins, he went 114 of 213 passing for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Headed into Friday’s meeting with the Spartans, Moore had appeared in just one game this season, as he saw action in the 49-14 win over Oregon State on Sept. 14. He went 3 of 3 passing for 15 yards in mop-up duty.

A Detroit native, Moore came out of Martin Luther King High School as a five-star quarterback and one of the best players in the 2023 recruiting class. He had offers from programs like LSU, Auburn, Georgia, Michigan, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and many more.

He was a part of a talented 2023 quarterback class that included big names like Arch Manning, Nico Iamaleava, Malachi Nelson. Jackson Arnold, Avery Johnson, Jaden Rashada and current Oregon Duck quarterback Austin Novosad.

Across four years in high school, Moore went 623 of 893 passing for 9,880 yards, 135 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.

If Moore can continue to enter games while Gabriel is healthy, that will spell success for the Ducks, as it signals that Lanning feels comfortable with a big lead.

Barring an injury to Gabriel, it’s unlikely that Moore will see action in next week’s pivotal Big Ten matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes next Saturday at Autzen Stadium. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. PT.

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