Oregon Ducks Quarterback Dante Moore Leaning on Bo Nix Before Penn State Matchup

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore visited the Penn State Nittany Lions during his high school recruitment, where he got to see Bo Nix battle through the hostile environment of the "White Out."

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore throws a pass during warmups as the Oregon Ducks host the Oregon State Beavers Sept. 20, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks cruised their way through non-conference play and the Big Ten opener against Northwestern, looking like one of the best teams in college football in the process.

But now the real tests begin, as the No. 6-ranked Ducks will head across the country to Happy Valley to take on the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday night in a highly-anticipated "White Out" game that carries major Big Ten Championship implications.

The Ducks took down Penn State in the Big Ten Championship on a neutral field last season, but Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is seeking out advice from a few years prior from a familiar face on how to handle the hostile environment.

Dante Moore "For Sure" Reaching Out to Bo Nix

Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix against the Stanford Cardinal. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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While speaking with the media after Oregon's 41-7 win over the Oregon State Beavers on Saturday, Moore reflected on his recruiting trip to Penn State during the 2021 season, where he saw former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, who was with the No. 22 Auburn Tigers at the time, come up short in a 28-20 loss to No. 10-ranked Nittany Lions.

Though Nix has played a ton of football since that game, it's likely an environment he hasn't forgotten about, something Moore will look to use to his advantage as he looks to get any advice he can from Nix.

"I didn't know much of Bo, just as a person, and, of course, as a player," Moore said. "He was there just throwing a lot of great passes. I forgot who won that game, but he was a competitor. Stadium is really loud of course, but just understand how composed he was. I hope I have a chance to talk to him and just hear his thoughts.

"It's just gonna be a great week. It's gonna be a great game," Moore continued. "It's gonna be great environment, hostile environment. But I'm gonna reach out to Bo for sure, to see what things he has to tell me."

Bo Nix Stats vs. Penn State

Auburn Tigers quarterback Bo Nix (10) throws a pass against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the third quarter at Beaver Stadium. Penn State won 28-20. | Matthew OHaren-Imagn Images

Nix, who is now in his second season as the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos, was not yet a nationally-recognized game during the 2021 season at Auburn when he faced Penn State.

In that loss, he finished 21 of 37 passing for 185 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions while adding six carries for 29 yards. The Tigers leaned on the ground game with running back Tank Bigsby, who had 23 carries for 102 yards and two touchdowns.

Nix didn't exactly have an eye-popping game statistically, but he still had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds after Auburn got to the Penn State 26-yard line. However, the Tigers came up just short.

Moore will be hoping the Ducks can have a different result when Saturday's game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. PT.