Oregon’s Dante Moore gets ‘special’ grade from Joey McGuire before Orange Bowl

Oregon’s football team’s playoff push got a whole lot louder after Dante Moore detonated James Madison early, putting together one of those first halves that instantly becomes a reference point.

He helped Oregon build real separation fast and finished the night with 313 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, two interceptions, plus a rushing score on his only carry, as the Ducks turned a hot start into a 51-34 CFP first-round win that sends them to the Orange Bowl against Texas Tech.

Joey McGuire didn’t mince words when asked about Moore’s ceiling. According to Matt Prehm on X, the Texas Tech head coach called Moore “special,” adding that if Moore decides to come out, he’s “probably the number one quarterback taken in the draft,” with only “the Indiana kid” mentioned in the same breath.

That kind of praise lands differently when it comes right after what Moore just did in prime time. Oregon scored on each of its first five drives, and Moore hit three 20-yard touchdown passes in the first half while also running one in, a bowl-game feat Opta Stats noted hasn’t been done since Zach Wilson pulled it off for BYU in 2020.

Even with a late first-half interception, the 34-6 halftime margin told the story: Oregon’s offense was dictating terms and forcing James Madison to chase the game.

The win itself was loud, too. Oregon jumped on top early with a 41-yard touchdown strike to tight end Jamari Johnson, then stacked points in bunches to take full control.

James Madison made the final score look more respectable with late points, but the outcome was never really in doubt once Oregon hit that early avalanche and kept cashing drives into touchdowns.

Now it’s about translating that opening-round tempo to the quarterfinal stage.

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