Minnesota preparing to face 'one of the most dynamic players in college football'

The latest betting odds from FanDuel Sportsbook have Oregon QB Dante Moore among the top 15 in terms of odds to win this year's Heisman trophy. Ohio State's Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith are the only other players listed that Minnesota has or will face this season.

Moore was a five-star high school prospect in the class of 2023. He was ranked behind Arch Manning and Nico Iamaleava on most sites, and he was the consensus No. 3 QB in the country. He signed with UCLA, where he completed 53.5% of his passes for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions in nine games as a true freshman.

Oct 21, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Dante Moore (3) warms up before the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

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He opted to hit the transfer portal following the 2023 season, and he signed with Oregon, but he sat behind Heisman trophy finalist Dillon Gabriel last season. He waited his turn and exploded this season as a redshirt sophomore. He has completed 70.5% of his passes for 1,884 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions.

"He's one of the most dynamic players in college football. I think that's pretty easy to tell, well-documented. He's very, very poised. You saw that on the last drive against Iowa," Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck said at his weekly Monday press conference.

Fleck is reffering to a 10-play, 54-yard game-winning drive against the Hawkeyes. Moore got the ball with 1:54 left on the clock and a 16-15 deficit. He started 3 of 3 for 13 yards before a beautiful 24 yards completion set the Ducks up for a 39-yard field goal, which eventually won the game.

"He's truly, incredibly poised. You can tell that the team really responds well to him. As you can tell, he's the leader of the offense. No situation too big for him. Whether it's with his legs or his arm, he's just dynamic, he really is," Fleck continued. "Really, really accurate passer, but understands pocket awareness. Moves really well in the pocket, good arm angles, very accurate passer. He's one of the best quarterbacks in the country for a reason."

Many experts think Moore could be the top quarterback off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft. Having only 86 and 112 passing yards in back-to-back weeks might've hurt his Heisman trophy chances, but he's undoubtedly one of the best quarterbacks in the sport.

"We've gotta be able to play incredibly sound defense, gotta be able to shrink that pocket. We've gotta be able to stick to our men, and make sure we don't create a lot of space on the backend, because he'll find it," Fleck said. "And they've got people who can run on the outside, and create space and separation, and that helps him out as well. As well as a really strong offensive line, tight ends, and really, really good run game."

Oregon's 38.7 points per game ranks third in the Big Ten, and it's the highest-scoring offense that Minnesota has faced this season. Their 231.9 passing yards per game ranks behind Rutgers, Ohio State and Nebraska in terms of teams that the Gophers have faced. Their 231.9 rushing yards per game ranks No. 1 in all of Power Conference college football. Minnesota will have its hands full against one of the best offenses in the country, and Moore is the catalyst.

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