Urban Meyer Asks Oregon Quarterback Dante Moore About Looming Penn State Game

Legendary college football coach turned TV analyst, Urban Meyer asked Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore if he's struggling to focus on the upcoming game against the Oregon State Beavers with the Penn State Nittany Lions game looming on Sept. 27.

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore warms up as the Oregon Ducks host the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sept. 6, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No. 4 Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore led his team to a 34-14 win over Northwestern, and Moore was pulled out of the game by Ducks coach Dan Lanning in the second half while leading 31-0.

Moore and the Ducks impressed, and thanks to being FOX's Big Noon Kickoff, the Oregon quarterback was interviewed by a panel of college football legends including Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram, Brady Quinn, and Matt Leinart.

Former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer, now with Fox Sports, watches on the sideline during the NCAA football game against the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Meyer asked Moore about keeping the team focused on Oregon's next game against Oregon State instead of thinking ahead to the highly-anticipated matchup with No. 2 Penn State on Sept. 27. The game with the Nittany Lions is expected to have ramifications at the top of the AP Top 25 Poll and the Big Ten standings.

As such, Penn State is adding to the atmosphere, making this game their annual "white out," known as one of the toughest environments in all of college football.

What Dante Moore Said About Penn State Matchup

“We have a lot of games ahead, but I feel like this team, our mindset is 1-0 every week. We’re going to worry about that opponent during the week. Today we’re going to fly back home, tomorrow’s a recovery day, and Monday we’ll hit the ground and be straight focused on Oregon State. You know, it’s a rivalry game, but every time we take the field it’s us vs. us.”

Moore's response to Meyer shows his maturity and the culture that Lanning has built in Eugene, Oregon. While it's certainly easy to look ahead to the top-five matchup, Moore appears focused on the task at hand, beating the Oregon State Beavers.

Sep 13, 2025; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) runs the ball past Northwestern Wildcats defensive lineman Anto Saka (4) during the first half at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. | David Banks-Imagn Images

With a dominant win over Northwestern, the Ducks are 3-0 and rolling to start the season. Moore has played well enough to be pulled from each game of the season, and Oregon has been able to stay relatively healthy as an entire team.

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What Dan Lanning Said About Dante Moore

Immediately after the game, Lanning was asked about Moore's ceiling as a quarterback by FOX's Jenny Taft.

“It’s unbelievably high. We go with the quarterback, we’ve got a really good one here,” Lanning said.

Oregon Head Coach Dan Lanning, left, and Defensive Coordinator Tosh Lupoi discus their game plan during the game against Oklahoma State. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After spending the 2024 season sitting behind former Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel, now a rookie with the Cleveland Browns, Moore seems to be in control of the Oregon offense. How far can Moore lead the Ducks in 2025?

Gabriel took the Ducks to an undefeated regular season and a Big Ten Championship, but Oregon fell flat in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals against Ohio State.