Austin Novosad earns snaps as Oregon Ducks try to maintain Dante Moore's redshirt

The third-string quarterback for the Oregon Ducks, Austin Novosad, had the opportunity to see the field against the Fighting Illini when Dan Lanning pulled starting QB Dillon Gabriel because, to put it nicely, Oregon is blowing Illinois out of the water.

While Novosad saw in-game action last season, he had yet to take the field during Oregon's 2024 campaign. As he took over the reins of the No. 1 team in the nation, some fans were surprised it was Novosad instead of the usual backup quarterback and UCLA transfer Dante Moore.

Moore, who has already earned snaps in two games this season is attempting to maintain his redshirt eligibility so that he can eventually play an extra year for the Ducks.

After playing, arguably too early, for UCLA in 2023, Moore transferred to the Ducks and was named the backup quarterback, almost immediately, behind Gabriel.

The former Bruin turned Duck quarterback is just fine with riding shotgun as he grows, trains, and learns from Gabriel's masterful ways. During the game against Illinois, Gabriel elevated his all-time passing yards to the second most in NCAA history, trailing only Case Keenum.

Novosad completed 2 pass attempts for 7 yards as the Ducks ran down the clock to walk away with the 38-9 victory over the Fighting Illini. The No. 1 team in the country remained perfect: the Oregon Ducks are 8-0.

Next week, Oregon will travel to Ann Arbor to take on the Michigan Wolverines in the Big House. The game is scheduled to kick off at 12:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on CBS.

Read more: