The Oregon Ducks' loss to Illinois on Saturday ultimately led to the firing of offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer, and on Monday, Ducks coach Dan Lanning announced that he does not expect quarterback Dante Moore to return to the field this season after suffering a concussion against USC on Sept. 26.
Dakorien Moore on Dante Moore
Oregon receiver Dakorien Moore spoke to the media on Tuesday for the first time since Dante Moore's injury status was revealed to the public, and the Ducks star receiver shared his reaction to the news:
“Yeah, of course that's something that's very heartbreaking, being that he was the first guy to even speak to me when I first got here. We got the same last name, give us even more connection. So just that bond that we have in general, I feel for him. It was very heartbreaking to hear, but at the same time, we've kind of been getting used to other quarterbacks playing. So in terms of football plays and stuff like that, we just got to rock out what we've been doing. So we're already used to it, but I feel for him deeply," Moore said.
With respect to the firing of Mehringer, Dakorien Moore revealed his surprise when Lanning decided to make a change at offensive coordinator. However, Moore also offered his perspective on moving forward without Mehringer on the staff:
“Yeah, of course, being on the media, you see all of this about people pointing fingers and stuff like that. Of course, that was one of the things that people have been saying. And then for it to actually happen was kind of crazy. But at the end of the day, it's a business decision. You see people get cut and stuff like that all around the world. I was kind of surprised, being that we felt like he was a good OC. He was a good contributor to this team. So very surprising, but it's a next-man-up mentality.”
With Oregon's College Football Playoff chances essentially diminished to zero, Dakorien Moore offered valuable insights into what he's expecting for the final five games of the season as well as the offense's mentality with new play-caller Jay Johnson taking over for Mehringer.
Expectations for New Play-Caller Jay Johnson
“I really have no expectations except for... I mean, having a better offense now because, I mean, every decision is not to go backwards. You know, everything we do is to move forward. So with the new change that we got, we're expected to get new plays in and get more yards, get more touchdowns, and get more wins.”
If Dante Moore Injury Was a Surprise
“Yeah, of course. We have a connection that's tighter than him with other people. So we knew the news before it got out into the media, but it still was like a shocker to us when he told us.”
Oregon’s Offensive Identity for the Rest of the Season
“I think in terms of our identity, we know our DNA plays. We know the plays that we can get to whenever we need to get certain situational downs. And we know who we've been in the past, the plays that we've ran last year and the year before that. We know the plays that get our explosives going. So I think once we figure that out, get back into ourselves, then we'll be good.”
Personal Goal for the Last Five Games
“I mean, as y'all seen, our offense has not been looking the way that it looked prior. We've been losing games where other teams haven't even been scoring like 20 plus points for us. So just our offense being successful, our offense moving the chains, like it not looking, like we're like going three and out, you know, every time we step on the field, like explosives, plays happening here and there. Like people like having good energy, you know, just all of that. Just like everyone having fun with the game is what I want for these next five games.”
Disconnect on Oregon Ducks Offense
“Yeah. I think it's been a little different, being that we got a lot of new faces in terms of the offense. A lot of guys that haven't played as many snaps as we did last year. Last year we had a lot more experience. So it was a little easier to, like, get people to understand certain things. So now it's just a little adversity that we're dealing with. So I think the disconnect part comes with just getting players to get more experience and get more plays so that they understand everything.”
Akili Smith Jr.’s Growth Behind the Scenes
“I mean, in terms of him being ready, that's not really up to me. I'm not gonna to lie. But I'll definitely see him make plays that, kind of just like not a shocker, but it's like, ‘Wow, like that kid is like crazy.’ You know, of course, he got like a big cannon of an arm. So he going to make them bomb plays. He going to use his legs when he has to. He going to make the reads.”
“You know, I think he's getting more confident. And that's like a big thing as a quarterback. Once you get more confidence, you know what you want to do. And it's like at that point you can take over. And I've been seeing him do that.”
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