CFP FIRST ROUND: JAMES MADISON VS OREGON

December 20, 2025

Dante Moore

Autzen Stadium

Oregon Ducks

Postgame Press Conference

Oregon 51, James Madison 34

Q. First five drives, five touchdowns, all less than five plays. What kind of went into those drives, especially those explosive plays that created the touchdowns?

DANTE MOORE: Yeah, first think, I want to give JMU their kudos. It's a talented team. They have a great coaching staff, great players. They fought their tails off. They deserve to be one of the 12 teams in there. But, yeah, when it comes to the offense this game, the first couple drives were great. We executed. We knew a lot of their defensive scheme coming into this game. Coach Stein and the offensive crew did a great job dissecting their defense.

Overall it was a great game. Offense did a great job. Defense did a great job. Special teams did a great job, so glad to get the win.

Q. As one of the leaders of this team, what's the message to the locker room after the game? Because Dan was open about being frustrated that this was not up to your standard. What do you say to your teammates?

DANTE MOORE: Yeah, overall it was just we won the game. We're advancing. Of course the standard has toe stay the standard through all the four quarters but overall, that's what film is there for. Film is there to make sure we get better with these upcoming days before the next game.

But, yeah, the whole team understands this wasn't our best game, but at the end of the day, we won the football game. Playoffs, you lose and you go home, so we're glad we won.

Q. Dante, how would you describe the emotion that you're feeling towards this game right now?

Q. My emotions is very high. Overall it's just great that we had a great game. Offense did a great job. The whole Oregon team did a great job. It's just overall what we did Monday through Friday to make sure we put on the type of performance today. We put up 51 points, that's a lot of points in the College Football Playoffs. Overall we have a lot to work on with these upcoming days but we're going to celebrate this win tonight and go from there.

Q. Dante, you guys had a lot of success passing deep down the field today. What went into that preparation-wise throughout the week? What were you seeing tonight and now heading into Texas Tech week, how do you want to build upon the successes that you had attacking in those deeper levels in the field?

DANTE MOORE: Yeah, we have a great front five O-line. They did a great job blocking for me to have time to throw the ball down field. The receivers here and tight ends are special. They make great plays when the ball's in the air. I'm going to give them a chance. But overall, we've been doing it all year and when the big moments are needed for this team, all the players step up.

Q. Hitting Malik for a couple of long ones. I'm curious what's that snap reaction when you see him break up and you have to lay it out there for him?

DANTE MOORE: Yeah, I'm going to talk about the bad one first, the one I underthrew him. He's really fast. He told me on the sideline, he's like you didn't have the arm to get out there? I say, uh, no. (Laughter) Overall the next time I told him I'm going to get him next time, finally threw him in stride. I haven't thrown him in stride since probably the Oklahoma State game.

Overall with him and his speed he does a great job getting open. Overall we're always watching film on the sidelines, seeing leverage to attack the DBs. Overall, not just him, J-Mac, Jamari Johnson, everybody doing a great job to get open and they're doing what they got to do.

Q. This year, last year, every year, really, under Dan Lanning when the team doesn't play to the standard, the next week, the next couple weeks you see the team locked in, focused and play better. Where does that confidence come from where every guy up here is saying we know we didn't play well, we know we'll fix it?

DANTE MOORE: Yeah, Coach Lanning's our leader. We go as he goes. He's going to make sure that he's going to push us very hard next week. We're going do watch film. Of course he's proud of us for us making it this far.

Win this game tonight in Autzen for the fans, the community, but overall like you said, everybody knows how Coach Lanning's is. He's psycho. He's going to make sure he's going to pressure us at practice. He's going to put that fire under us and it's needed. We don't ever want to get snide and we haven't been all year we have been a lot of times the underdogs in situations but overall we're just ready to keep competing and keep getting better at a team.

Q. Dante, long season. It's not over yet but now you're into these playoff elimination games. Longing back from the start of the season to now, where do you feel like you've grown the most?

DANTE MOORE: Yeah, I say the way I've grown the most is as a person when it comes to my vocalism to the team, the way I communicate. The way I just say things off the field in front of the video games or for here in the film room. I feel like I've grown the most in understanding how to adapt to every teammate on my team. Everybody's not the same. Everybody comes from different backgrounds. We all can relate in some type of way, but, for example, E-Man. When he first came in, we hardly talked to each other but now when we see each other in the training room together, we're in the huddle, every time we see him smile, we're dancing with him. This team has grown so much and it just comes from the way we're just so connected.

Q. It's been nearly two months since you had a fully stocked receiving core. What's it like to have Dak and Gary back there even if it wasn't exactly at 100% but more than it's been in a while?

DANTE MOORE: Yeah, I just love how the fans were cheering on Evan when he caught his first warmup pass that he caught in a long time. I was glad to see him back as well. Yeah, Dakorien, Gary, everybody getting back, it is great to have all your weapons. But I think the best thing with them and I'll always give them the credit is when they're not on the field playing or these past couple weeks haven't been participating as much, I think they've grown so much better being vocal in the film room and in the weight room.

Of course Dakorien is young, but he's got a lot of experience this year. He makes sure he's pushing Cooper. He's making sure he's talking to J-Mac. Gary, of course, the old-head in the room so he just talks and just keeps preaching game to the receivers. I feel like with them two not being able to play the past couple of weeks. They've grown being more vocal to the guys.

Q. Next up is Texas Tech. They got Jacob Rodriguez at linebacker, fifth in the Heisman. David Bailey, a lot of nice players on defense. What kind of challenge will they present to you guys?

DANTE MOORE: Yeah, we're going to celebrate this win tonight, watch film on them. Texas Tech is a great team. They have great ballplayers over there. Overall we're going to celebrate this win and not look too forward.

Q. Lanning often talks about you, the players, have the opinion that matters and one of the first things you said today was JMU deserved to be in this. I'm curious why. What did you see? Outside a lot of people were curious about why they should be here.

DANTE MOORE: I mean, look at the stats. They put up numbers. Look at their previous games. If you think about it, if you look at Indiana's film team, they all came from JMU. They came for the great coaching staff. JMU is always developing great players. The quarterback, he can play anywhere in the country to be honest. He has an arm. He's very... a great leader out there. The running back's really good. They put up the numbers and the numbers are going to speak. But overall, they're one of 12 teams, there's a hundred and whatever teams in college football, but it's them being there, being able to come here in and in Autzen, it was great to play against them. Very competitive team.

Q. You guy haves now played 13 games, really long season. Just wanted to ask you what's your experience been like enduring the grind of a season and getting all the way to this point?

DANTE MOORE: Yeah, this is the longest season I've ever played in my life. I've never played this much football before and it's a blessing. Just being here with the guys, being able to push ourselves every day, from the start of us playing Montana State to us playing JMU, it's been a long journey and I feel like with this team, we were very young at the beginning of the year, but we've had a lot of experience. We've been pushing each other every day. We've been growing so much closer as a team and we just love the game of football and Coach Lanning is going to do a great job to keep pushing us and make sure we keep taking it forward.

Q. Part of leadership, and you project it a lot and talk about joy and happiness. You've said it a lot of times tonight already. Great job. Having that kind of voice, there's something to be said for that but part of it also can be accountability. That doesn't always look pretty. Will you take a different posture in the locker room, in the meeting rooms over the next 24-48 hours based on how you feel? Maybe even if you're not projecting it here now. Will that look different in a room that look different in a room where there's no music blaring and guys talking about feeling like they lost tonight?

DANTE MOORE: Yeah. That's a great question. I'll be myself through the wins and the losses. Of course you always want to learn from certain moments, but I'm trying to tell you, as our team, as our offense, if we're not smiling through the bad, we're never going to exceed to be what we can be. I know a lot of people say it's not a lot of great film tonight, but at the end of the day, we got the win and I know myself, if I'm not being myself, the team's going to look at me and hold me accountable. I think through every moment from us being in the film room, we're always going to have a smile on our face. We're just blessed to be here, blessed to be in Eugene, Oregon playing the game we love. Thank you. God bless you guys.