Why USC football must make Oregons Dante Moore feel heat to win

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 eve...