Dante Moore’s Heisman Odds Send Mixed Signal Before USC Game

The No. 20 Oregon Ducks' quarterback Dante Moore only had to play one half of football during the No. 21 Oregon Ducks’ 84-0 beatdown of the Portland State Vikings before sitting out with the Ducks up 49–0. Moore finished the game with 280 passing yards and four touchdowns, completing 19 of 23 passes.

Moore completed 82.6 percent of his passes in the first half against Portland State, making it his sharpest and most efficient first-half performance of the 2026 season. It was a significant improvement from the 38.5 percent of passes he completed in the first half against Oklahoma State and the roughly 68 percent he completed against Boise State.

Dante Moore Heisman odds Oregon Ducks Portland State 84-0 Week 3 Oklahoma State USC 2026 Heisman Trophy — Sep 18, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) throws a pass during the first half against the Portland State Vikings at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was a dominant performance from the Oregon quarterback, and it should have been. Portland State had allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.3 percent of their passes through the first four games of the season.

Moore’s performance came at a point where he needed to start making up ground in the Heisman Trophy race.

His Heisman odds took a hit following Oregon’s upset loss to Oklahoma State, and despite Moore putting together exactly the kind of bounce-back performance he needed against Portland State, his odds did not see too much movement.

How the Heisman Odds Changed After Week 3:

Here is how the top Heisman contenders' odds changed following Week 3, according to DraftKings:

Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss: +1,300 → +300
Darian Mensah, QB, Miami: +550 → +340
Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State: +700 → +850
Malachi Toney, WR, Miami: +1,300 → +1,100
Arch Manning, QB, Texas: +1,000 → +1,200
CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame: +1,050 → +1,200
Kamario Taylor, QB, Mississippi State: +2,500 → +1,800
Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State: +1,500 → +2,500
Josh Hoover, QB, Indiana: +1,750 → +2,500
Jayden Maiava, QB, USC: +1,800 → +3,000
Gunner Stockton, QB, Georgia: +2,500 → +3,500
Keelon Russell, QB, Alabama: +4,800 → +4,000
Dante Moore, QB, Oregon: +6,000 → +4,500
Sam Leavitt, QB, LSU: +2,500 → +5,000
LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina: +4,400 → +5,000
Kevin Jennings, QB, SMU: +4,500 → +6,000
Faizon Brandon, QB, Tennessee: +5,500 → +6,000
Aaron Philo, QB, Florida: +6,000 → +6,000
Bear Bachmeier, QB, BYU: +5,800 → +6,000
Drew Mestemaker, QB, Oklahoma State: +6,400 → +6,500

Dante Moore's Heisman Odds Move Back Up

Oregon’s shocking loss to Oklahoma State dropped Moore’s Heisman odds from +1,100 to +6,000. Moore's performance vs. Portland State was enough to move his Heisman odds back in the right direction, with his odds improving from +6,000 to +4,500. However, his jump was not nearly as significant as some of the other quarterbacks in the Heisman race.

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss made the biggest moves of the weekend after leading the Rebels to a 32-24 win over LSU and former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin. Chambliss threw for 363 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing score against his former head coach in a massive, emotional, high-stakes SEC matchup.

Miami quarterback Darian Mensah also continued to build his case. Mensah completed 30 of 34 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns in a road win over Wake Forest.

Moore did not have that same big opportunity in Week 3. Portland State was a game Oregon was expected to dominate, and the Ducks did exactly that. Moore played just one half before watching the rest of the blowout from the sideline. The task wasn’t daunting, but Moore did everything he needed to do to help Oregon bounce back from the Oklahoma State upset.

But that is also the difficult part of Moore’s Heisman case right now. Oregon’s schedule has not given him a true statement-win opportunity yet. The Ducks opened the season with a win over Boise State before suffering the upset loss to Oklahoma State, and then Moore had a chance to get back on track against Portland State.

So while Moore now has a dominant performance to put behind the Oklahoma State loss, he still has a statement loss without a statement win to balance it out.

Moore completed just 48.3 percent of his passes against Oklahoma State. That performance is going to be difficult to overcome when competing with quarterbacks who are already stacking big performances in high-profile games.

The good news for Moore is that Oregon's biggest opportunities are still ahead. The Ducks will eventually face Ohio State on the road, along with USC and Michigan this season. Those games could give Moore an opportunity to put together a Heisman-defining performance against a top opponent.

The Portland State win helped Moore take a step back in the right direction. But getting back into the top half of the Heisman race will require more than four touchdowns against an FCS opponent. To be in New York this winter, Moore will need to run the table and help the Ducks win out while continuing to deliver big performances throughout conference play.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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