Dante Moore at Loss for Words After Controversial Oregon Ducks Touchdown

The Oregon Ducks had some notable highlight plays in the win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers, but one in particular caused some debate on social media both during and after the game.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore warms up before a game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Autzen Stadium. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks rolled their way to a 9-1 record on Friday night at Autzen Stadium after securing a 42-13 win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Despite the blowout victory, the game was filled with some memorable highlights and even a few controversial plays.

Oregon running back Noah Whittington had the play of the night on a 40-yard touchdown run that saw him fight off nearly the entire defense, but Ducks wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan made headlines during a touchdown of his own.

Dante Moore "Can't Explain" Jeremiah McClellan Touchdown

Oregon Ducks wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan catches a touchdown pass during the second half against Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back John Nestor at Autzen Stadium. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

In the third quarter, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore found McClellan in the back right corner of the end zone for a catch that appeared to be out of bounds from the naked eye, but the side judge signaled touchdown.

Upon review, the officials stood with the touchdown ruling, giving McClellan his second score of the season.

A closer look shows that McClellan just barely got his toe inside the end zone for the score, but it was certainly a play that caused some debate on social media after the game.

for those who think JMac didn’t get the foot in pic.twitter.com/kaSLhzc01V

— Tsunami (@Tsunami_TS) November 15, 2025

Even if the catch was ruled incomplete, it was no doubt an impressive play from McClellan, who showed off his athleticism. Moore said after the game that he's worked with McClellan on back-shoulder throws, but even he was shocked how he managed to get a foot down.

"It was a concept that we loved this week," Moore said. "I was telling the receivers and the team that this was going to be a scoring play this game. I kind of just spoke it into existence. It was a defensive look that I loved. When J-Mac is out there, I've been working the back-shoulder all week. He's one of the most confident receivers with it. I've kind of got to use that to our advantage. Seeing the DB turn, I knew I had J-Mac on the back-shoulder."

"I still can't explain how he got his foot down. That's just insane. Or on Kenyon's play. I thought he scored. I didn't know they'd count him down. J-Mac made a great catch and he always does it at practice. I was a little surprised, but at practice he makes crazier catches too," Moore continued.

Dan Lanning Reacts to Jeremiah McClellan's Touchdown

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning calls for a time out during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Autzen Stadium. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Oregon coach Dan Lanning was asked about the touchdown after the game and didn't dive into whether or not McClellan got a foot down.

“Ultimately, that's not our decision. But I'll say this, I saw J-Mac make those plays in practice this week. And I know you guys think I'm kidding, but we had two-minute drill on Wednesday,” he said.

Lanning added that McClellan makes tough catches in practice, making it not much of a surprise when he hauled in the touchdown against Minnesota.

“He made some unbelievable catches in practice and then shows up in a game," Lanning said. This guy's attacking the ball really, really well. I'm really proud of J-Mac’s growth, and our quarterback trusts him, wants to throw it to him and give him an opportunity to go make a play on it in that moment.”