When will Dante Moore return? Oregon desperately needs its QB

When will Dante Moore come back?It's a question Oregon doesn't have the answer to, but one it needs soon to save a season that began with so much promise.Moore is ruled out for Oregon's Week 8 game at Illinois, according to the Big Ten availability report released on Wednesday, Oct. 21, set to miss his third straight game. Dylan Raiola will likely to start at quarterback.The game against the Fighting Illini will happen nearly one month after Moore's injury against USC on Sept. 29. Against the Trojans, Moore scrambled on a play when Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens III hit him in the head with his forearm, resulting in a scary injury where the quarterback looked to be seriously hurt.While Moore only suffered a concussion from the play, he has yet to return to action. He has been practicing but been ruled out of games since then, just on the sidelines in street clothes for the past two games.Without Moore, Oregon's quarterback play has been subpar. Raiola came to the rescue against USC, but had a disastrous showing against UCLA when he went 6-for-19 for just 43 yards with two interceptions and a fumble before he was benched at the end of the third quarter. Brock Thomas came in and nearly lead a comeback with 156 yards and a touchdown in the final frame.Thomas started against Nebraska in Week 7, but he had his own struggles, going 9-for-20 with 54 yards and an interception as he was taken out at the end of the third quarter. Raiola came in and led the game-winning drive, passing for 59 yards and a touchdown in the final 15 minutes against the Cornhuskers.Lanning has reiterated Raiola and Thomas are still battling for the position, although it was notable Raiola spoke with the media on Wednesday. When asked on Monday, Oct. 19 about Moore's medical status, Lanning said "I'm not able to tell you that."Oregon's offense has clearly missed Moore, who has thrown for 926 yards with nine touchdowns and zero interceptions in the three-plus games he's played in. It could also use its quarterback return as Oregon's College Football Playoff chances are on the brink of extinction just halfway into the season.At 4-2, the Ducks have two losses before the end of October for the first time under Lanning, last happening in 2018. Suffering a third loss would pretty much knock Oregon out of making its third straight playoff appearance unless it got a ridiculous amount of fortunate results to bounce its way. Oregon also is dealing the recent arrest of top receiver Evan Stewart, who faces a charge of driving under the influence of intoxicants from an incident on Sunday, Oct. 18, hours after the win against Nebraska. Lanning said the following day there was an incident "that didn't match our standard here in our program" and the decision would be handled internally, although he didn't offer anymore details of what would happen.No concussion recovery is the same. It can't be rushed until the player, coaches and medical guidance all feel 100% comfortable with the return to the field. Sometimes it last a few days, others it takes multiple weeks. Lanning has consistently said there wouldn't be a rush.But the past month has shown how critical Moore is to Oregon's success. With him, Oregon is 15-3 and an offense that resembles what's become customary in Eugene, averaging 39.1 points per game. Since then, the Ducks have been an slog that's reaching new lows under Lanning, and that's not going to cut it when Northwestern, Ohio State and Michigan are all waiting to officially eliminate them from the playoff conversation.Oregon needs Moore back to save it.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When will Dante Moore return? Oregon desperately needs its QB