Orange Bowl struggles make clear the path for Dante Moore at Oregon

One thing Duck fans love about Dante Moore is that he seems so unflappable. Though still a young quarterback who makes some mistakes, he stays calm and focused.

He reminds fans of Marcus Mariota as a Duck in that way, showing a real gift of flipping the page to the next play and next possession. As a leader he's steady. As a team spokesman, focused and consistent.

Texas Tech's pressure got the Oregon offense completely out of synch, but Moore didn't give in to frustration. He kept his teammates on the same page. After they suffered two sacks in the first quarter, they adjusted well and didn't surrender another one, but the pressure still destroyed some of their rhythm and explosiveness.

Even so, they kept chipping away and trusted their defense, which delivered big-time.

The Ducks couldn't run the football. They won handily thanks to the defense, but in the second half they managed just 69 yards rushing and 42 passing, only four explosive plays all day.

Oregon struggles, but Moore's demeanor and leadership stayed constant

While Moore and the Ducks survived and advanced to the Peach Bowl, his uneven performance provided convincing evidence he needs another year as a college starter before moving on to the NFL. The arm talent is there, the intelligence and character make him a great future pro prospect, but he needs the experience and seasoning.

It's a challenge for the Ducks because Indiana is capable of the same intensity of pressure, though they achieve it with a different scheme, relying more on blitzes and simulated pressure. In their first meeting they held Oregon to 267 yards and one offensive touchdown, with six sacks and eight tackles for loss.

Linebackers Aiden Fischer and Rolijah Hardy racked up 13 tackles each, and the linebacker group combined for five of the sacks. Moore and his protection scheme didn't recognize where they were coming from or how many.

Moore has admitted he doesn't like to get hit. No one does, but elite pro quarterbacks master the ability to stand in there in the face of pressure, deliver the football and absorb contact. They make brilliant reads under fire.

The 6-3 five-star quarterback from Detroit, Michigan could leave right now for the league and make a pile of money, but more college starts would dramatically increase his chances for long-term success.

Against TTU he hit a couple of big passes to tight end Jamari Johnson that helped get the Ducks out in front, for 26 and 24 yards, and in the fourth quarter he threw a smart dumpoff to Jayden Limar that led to a field goal, widening their lead to 16-0, a big play on third down.

As this highlight shows, Moore has all the skills NFL scouts are looking for, but he needs to refine them. He's still just 20 years old. Another year of development would set him up for a long, successful career in the league.

On the season he's passed for 3,280 yards with 28 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, sacked 14 times, completing 72.9 percent of his passes. His ability to layer the ball downfield and throw accurately to tight windows are the traits that make him a $50 million, first-round prospect, but the big money can wait while he refines his game, hits the weight room and matures.

The program can provide him with insurance against injury. Moore's agent is Brandon Grier of Equity Sports, and his family has a solid plan for advising him.

To help him and new offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer, the Ducks ought to hire an elite quarterback coach for next season. It'd be insurance to see that he and freshman Akili Smith Jr. get developed in the right way.