Minnesota Coach P.J. Fleck Doesn't Hold Back On Oregon Quarterback Dante Moore

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore has received some Heisman Trophy-level praise leading up to the Big Ten matchup against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, as head coach P.J. Fleck had note worthy things to say about the star signal-caller.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore runs off the field after the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

They will need some help to defend their Big Ten Championship crown, but the Oregon Ducks still have clear sights set on making another run to the College Football Playoff this season.

The next step is Friday's home matchup against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore will be looking to lead the Ducks to their fourth straight win after the disappointing loss to the Indiana Hoosiers on Oct. 11

Though Moore and the Oregon offense didn't have their most explosive performance in the 18-16 win over Iowa last week, it's safe to say that he won't be flying under the radar against the Golden Gophers based on what Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck said about Moore leading up to the game.

P.J. Fleck Calls Dante Moore "One of The Best Quarterbacks in the Country"

Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck prepares for a game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Fleck met with the media this week and delivered some high praise for Moore, calling him "incredibly poised."

This is certainly hard to argue with considering some of the big moments Moore has battled through this season.

After leading the Ducks to a 30-24 double-overtime win over Penn State, Moore helped Oregon grind out the close win over Iowa, which was highlighted by the

"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 said. "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."

Minnesota's Plan vs. Dante Moore

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore warms up before the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Fleck won't reveal all of Minnesota's secret, but it's clear that the Golden Gophers' defense knows it needs to be at its best to slow down Moore in order to have a chance at an upset win.

"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."

So far this season, Moore has gone 158 of 224 passing for 1,884 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions

Despite a 6-3 record, not much has gone right for Minnesota this year against tougher opponents. The Golden Gophers have won bowl games each of the past four seasons but haven't been able to pull off big wins this year, suffering blowout losses to Ohio State and Iowa along with a road defeat against a solid California team.

With some of these disappointment likely motivating them heading into Eugene, Moore and the Ducks will need to be at their best in order to avoid a major upset.