Oregon's Lanning touts Moore as best QB after beating Penn State - ESPN

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — For the first time all night, Dante Moore was overwhelmed. The Oregon quarterback paused his victory lap and bent over, staring down at the Beaver Stadium grass while trying his best to collect himself and hold back the tears.

In the moments immediately after his Oregon squad pulled off a 30-24 double-overtime triumph over No. 3 Penn State, Moore was emotionally spent. Ducks coach Dan Lanning, however, was practically vibrating after the stunning finish, brimming with pride that his No. 6 Ducks had what it took to win what he considers the best game he has ever been a part of in his career.

What it took was unbelievable poise from every player in his program, especially from Moore, his sophomore quarterback making just his fifth career road start.

The Ducks had the luxury of elite experience at the quarterback position over Lanning's first three seasons in Eugene between Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel. On Saturday night, they showed everyone what they have in Moore.

«I think we've got the best quarterback in college football,» Lanning said.

Moore threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns, rushed for 35 yards, avoided turnovers and sacks and stayed in control in front of an announced crowd of 111,015, the second largest in Penn State history. Lanning and his coaches put all their trust in Moore in a game loaded with high-pressure moments, including 18 third downs and seven fourth downs in which the Ducks went for it, converting five of them.

«It's things you pray and dream about as a kid,» Moore said.

Lanning told his players all week that the mindset necessary to defeat the Nittany Lions was death by a thousand cuts. No one play was going to knock out their foe. Every play and every cut mattered. That's