When starting quarterback Dante Moore went down with an injury less than two minutes into the third quarter of the Oregon Ducks‘ Week 9 matchup with Wisconsin, all eyes went to which quarterback would be inserted into the game.
Throughout the week, head coach Dan Lanning faced questions over this very situation.
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In Week 8 against Rutgers, the Ducks held a comfortable 56-3 lead before Moore was taken out of the game. In came redshirt sophomore walk-on Brock Thomas, who’d originally began the year as the fourth quarterback on the depth chart.
Thomas operated the offense well, completing three of four passes for 45 yards in the final quarter against the Scarlet Knights. But it wasn’t his performance in question — rather, it was his leap over four-star Austin Novosad and three-star Luke Moga, the QB2 and QB3 entering the season. Novosad reportedly competed with Moore for the starting job throughout spring practices and into fall camp.
Lanning brushed the questions away, reasoning that Thomas had earned the reps in practice and performed well, ultimately landing the nod as the backup quarterback.
But, as is the reality of a coach putting a walk-on over a four-star in Novosad, the real test of Lanning’s true actions was put to the test against the Badgers with an entire half ahead, in a one-score game, nonetheless.
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True to his word, Thomas trotted onto the field.
It wasn’t the most envious position, as Oregon held just a 7-0 lead and faced a 3rd-and-9 from the Wisconsin 29-yard line. Rain poured down onto Autzen Stadium. The crowd, nervous in anticipation, looked on.
What happened next reaffirmed Lanning’s decision.
A Wisconsin defensive lineman jumped offsides, and Thomas, operating with a so-called “free play” due to the opposing five-yard penalty that was to come. He looked to his left, where true freshman wide receiver Dakorien Moore ran down the field. The Wisconsin defensive back sagged back, opening up the opportunity for a back-shoulder throw. Thomas calmly zipped the pass to Moore, who turned up the field for a 24-yard gain.
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“I felt pretty excited,” Thomas said about entering the game. “I felt pretty prepared. We all prepare each week to play. You know, you never want to see a guy go down. But when that happens, just get up, get a couple throws in, get the play call, and just operate.”
Operate is exactly what the 5-foot-11, 195-pound signal-caller did. By game’s end, Thomas had completed all four of his passes for 46 yards and a touchdown. The Ducks prevailed with a 21-7 victory, scoring touchdowns on two of Thomas’ first three drives.
Speaking postgame, Lanning touched on Thomas’ performance and the outside noise about the QB2 spot.
“Our backup quarterback was 4-for-4 tonight, we won the game,” he said. “They should go to our locker room and see them carry Brock Thomas up in the locker room after the game. Like, our players see it every day in practice. When did Brock come in and not perform well for us this season?”
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The stamp of approval from his head coach has to feel for good for Thomas, a Eugene local. He starred for nearby Sheldon High School, winning his conference’s player of the year award as a senior and leading his team to the state championship game.
But the praise didn’t end there, as Thomas’ teammates raved about his performance while, at the same time, noting that it was to be expected.
“I’m proud of that kid,” senior linebacker Bryce Boettcher, also a Eugene local, said postgame. “He’s showed it in practice every single day. So it wasn’t surprising when he came in, especially in a rain game, and performed the way he did with that poise.”
Offensive lineman Gernorris Wilson, who caught Thomas’ lone touchdown pass as an eligible pass-catcher, expressed a similar sentiment when asked about his performance.
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“Amazing,” he said. “I mean, he does it in practice, so it wasn’t really a surprise for me.”
The way the Sheldon product performed on Saturday, maybe it shouldn’t have been a question. But one thing is for sure: if called upon in the absence of Moore, Thomas has earned reps in the future. Lanning certainly agrees, putting the ultimate stamp on the situation.
“He’s done what we’ve asked him to do every time he’s come in. People should stop worry about it, and they should also know that those other quarterbacks are doing a really good job in practice too. But Brock’s playing well, right? Watch the film.”
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Dan Lanning details Oregon Ducks’ QB2 decision with Brock Thomas
