Dante Moore, No. 2 Oregon Avoid Boise State Upset, Box Score Stats, Highlights, QB's Draft Stock

The No. 2-ranked Oregon Ducks opened their 2026 college football season by avoiding an upset against Boise State with an exhilarating 34-27 win, led by a standout performance from Dante Moore.

Ahead of Oregon's season opener, they were a 24.5-point favorite over the Broncos at Autzen Stadium on Saturday, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

Moore and the Ducks, fresh off a 2025 College Football Playoff semifinal run, withstood a tough season-opening test against a gritty Boise State team Saturday as the game came down to the wire. Despite the slow start, Moore threw for a career-high in yards.

Player	Comp/Att	Yds	TD	INT
Dante Moore	28/37	378	3	0

Oregon came out of the gate looking nervous, allowing Boise State to score on its opening drive before turning the ball over on downs and punting it away to close out the first quarter.

The Ducks scored on a short rushing touchdown by Jordan Davison for Oregon's first six points of the season. 

Moore added a deep pass down the middle to Jamari Johnson to salvage the Ducks' lackluster first half, which included a muffed punt that turned into a touchdown on the very next play, as Oregon trailed 17-14 at the break.

Head coach Dan Lanning must have ripped into the team with a pep talk at halftime because the Ducks came out of the break with a field goal to tie the game and forced a punt before Moore connected with Jeremiah McClellan to give Oregon its first lead of the game, 24-17, with just over 5:30 left in the third quarter.

Boise State quickly responded with a touchdown to tie things back up before the fourth quarter.

After an opening field goal in the fourth quarter, Dakorien Moore finally found his footing, connecting on a pass before juking the defense and taking it 62 yards for a touchdown.

Despite not being able to stay on the field, Oregon's defense came up big after the Ducks punted following a five-play drive with 2:24 remaining, getting the stop on fourth-and-10 to seal the game.

Before he kicked off the 2026 CFB season, Moore kept every Duck fan on the edge of their seat as they anxiously awaited his decision whether he would declare for the 2026 NFL Draft or return to Oregon for his Senior season. 

"With my decision, it's been very tough. I've prayed a lot about it, talked to many people -- my mentors and people I look up to," Moore said on ESPN's SportsCenter on Jan. 14. "With that being said, of course I'll be coming back to Oregon for one more year, being able to play for the Oregon Ducks and reach our goal and be national champions."

Moore had a chance to be a top selection in the 2026 NFL draft and remains a top prospect for 2027, according to ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.

Kiper sees Moore as a potential No. 1 overall pick if he can play better in big games this season. He is also leaving the door open for Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning in the No. 1 overall slot.

ESPN's Jordan Reid also believes that if Moore plays at the level he did last season, he will be selected No. 1 overall in his latest mock draft. 

Oregon faced one of the tougher challenges among ranked teams in Week 1, taking on a Boise State program that finished 9-5 last season and returns 27-year-old quarterback Maddux Madsen.

The down-to-the-wire win and a new career high in passing yards showed that the veteran quarterback is ready to be a top-pick in the NFL Draft as long as he can maintain his composure throughout the season against ranked teams.

With the first-game jitters out of the way, Oregon will need to clean up its mistakes against Oklahoma State on the road next Saturday.