Add The California Post on Google Dante Moore isn’t going to give USC’s defense the kind of generous tip he left two weeks ago.
Apparently signaling his intentions based on the way he stood before each snap — his feet were more staggered on pass plays than runs — the veteran Oregon quarterback essentially told Oklahoma State what was coming.
The Cowboys corralled Moore as a result, leading to his worst showing since he was a flustered freshman at UCLA three years ago.
Moore supposedly fixed those tendencies before the Ducks rolled up an 84-0 victory over Portland State last week, meaning it will be solely up to the Trojans to make him uncomfortable during their Saturday showdown at the Coliseum.
Is a defense that’s managed just one sack in each of its last two games — against far lesser opponents — up for the challenge?
It certainly has plenty to prove after a here-we-go-again performance against Rutgers stirred unpleasant reminders of recent USC defenses that qualified as the team’s lesser half.
“We’ve obviously worked hard to build this defensive line to be able to make life tough on opposing quarterbacks,” Trojans coach Lincoln Riley said Thursday when asked about pressuring Moore. “So it’s certainly a big part of the game.”
In a best-case scenario, the Trojans will be able to replicate what Oklahoma State did to Moore, albeit without the benefit of pre-snap clues.
Struggling under relentless pressure and getting sacked four times by the Cowboys, Moore did not live up to his billing as a possible top NFL draft pick.
Completing only 14 of 29 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns, Moore compiled a 48.3% completion rate that was his worst since midway through his 2023 season with the Bruins, when a subpar showing against Oregon State cost him the starting job.
After the Ducks’ stunning loss to the Cowboys, it was revealed that Moore had been tipping off plays.
Did that change how Riley and the Trojans would approach Oregon’s offense?
“Honestly,” Riley said, “I’m not even going to give you a BS answer — I wouldn’t tell you if we did anyway.”
Assuming Moore has fixed that problem doesn’t remove one underlying truth about his play — when he’s feeling pressured, he tends to struggle mightily.
During its two victories over the Ducks last season, Indiana sacked Moore a total of nine times — that’s more than the eight sacks he absorbed combined in the other 13 games, which were all Oregon victories.
While USC (4-0) has generated eight sacks this season, five came against Fresno State, and only four have come from their defensive linemen. Defensive end Jadyn Ramos leads the way with two sacks, and defensive end Zuriah Fisher and defensive tackle Jide Abasiri have one each. Freshman defensive end Luke Wafle, who has made 1.5 tackles for loss, is still seeking his first sack.
The Trojans’ defensive line could get a boost Saturday if defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart, the former freshman All-American, makes his season debut after missing the first four games with a foot injury. He was listed as questionable on the Big Ten’s midweek availability report.
Also listed as questionable was safety Alex Graham, who went down with an unspecified injury during the Rutgers game.
Regardless of who is available Saturday, the Trojans must apply more pressure to help a secondary that gave up 292 yards passing against Rutgers — though the run defense wasn’t exactly stout, either, in surrendering 168 yards on the ground.
If Moore can stand in the pocket with plenty of time to scan the field for open receivers, the Trojans are probably not going to get their long-awaited breakthrough under Riley. But if Moore’s constantly on the run, then maybe it will be the Ducks who completely crumble before the end of September.
“Having a chance to affect the opposing quarterback is always important, especially when you’re playing a really good quarterback like Dante is,” Riley said, “and so it’ll definitely be critical.”
