Our Oregon football program faces its biggest test of the season in week five: Penn State. The Nittany Lions are third-ranked in the country in AP voting, and the Ducks aim to take their spot from the sixth slot. Dan Lanning and company are tasked with game planning for a HUGE win on the road with a rock-solid offensive scheme, elite defensive play, and the ability to drown out a hostile crowd in Happy Valley.
Instead of a how, let’s ask who’s going to achieve this in week five. Who’s going to step up and elevate this Oregon team? Who’s going to turn a close loss into a huge win?
Dakorien Moore has been playing at an elite level all season – Photo via Max Unkrich
My Player of the Game in Week Five: Dakorien Moore
No, not Dante. Dakorien’s in the prime spot to make the difference in this matchup. This is going to be a possession-based game, and Oregon is a team KNOWN for winning those under Dan Lanning. Most of that comes down to quarterback play.
Drew Allar is the 106th-ranked passer in QBR across all of college football, compared to Dante’s 13th. If there are 93 quarterbacks better than you, that’s not going to work against Oregon’s defense. I’d be surprised if Allar eclipses even 150 yards passing, and I expect their elite running back tandem will get the bulk of the touches to keep this game close.
Since Penn State’s offense is going to rely heavily on the run game, I anticipate that James Franklin’s gameplan is to play keep away from the Ducks’ high-powered skill players and hopefully end the game 10-3. Fortunately for Duck fans, Dante and Dakorien will have other plans. Let’s see them take over this game and immediately rip the top off the defense. That’ll open the door for a well-rested Noah Whittington to get back into the swing of things and establish the run, chewing clock for the Ducks and squeezing out a much-needed ranked win.
Side note: We need a new nickname for the Moore-2-Moore connection. Metro (as in Metro Boomin, or Metro Moore) fits perfectly for Dakorien, and business will ALWAYS be booming between these two, so all we need is something for five. I think he’ll earn a moniker in this game as the standout player that takes his superstar receiver to 100-yards+ and at least a couple of touchdowns.
Overall, College football is loaded in week five. But this is the game of the week—no question. Who do you see dominating this game? Who’s Oregon’s superstar standout?
Let us know in the FishDuck Forum with decorum. GO DUCKS!
Alex Heining
Los Angeles, California
Top Photo By: Max Unkrich
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Alex Heining is an Oregon alumni from the graduate class of 2021. After studying sports business and media studies, he has moved into the field of digital marketing as a copywriter and content manager in the Los Angeles area. Still, he loves his Ducks and goes to local high school games all over the Los Angeles and Orange County area to check out new recruits of the future (and a SoFi game or two with the pros). On any given Saturday, expect to find him doing martial arts, playing the guitar, or screaming at the tv over a missed holding penalty.