“During that moment, I didn’t feel nervous at all,” quarterback Dante Moore said regarding Oregon’s game-winning drive against Iowa. “When we took the field, as a whole huddle, everybody was looking at me. I told everybody, ‘Take a deep breath, let’s embrace this moment.’”

Through 10 games this season, Oregon has failed to score in the final two minutes before halftime just twice. In the other eight games, it has scored five touchdowns and three field goals with less than two minutes remaining; seven of those scores came with less than one minute remaining.

The Ducks showed against Penn State and Iowa that they are capable of stepping up in big moments. Their young roster has gained some valuable experience throughout the season that will serve them well down the stretch. With their win total growing each year under Lanning, they will be well coached in learning from moments they fell short in previously.

Two weeks ago was the first time in Moore’s career where the outcome of a game came down to one drive in under two minutes. With the regular season quickly coming to an end, the Ducks should expect to face these high-stakes situations a lot more down the line.

It was the second time in that game where Oregon put together a scoring drive with less than two minutes to work with. Late in the second quarter, Iowa punted and gave the Ducks the ball at their own 20-yard line with 1:43 until halftime. They relied heavily on running back Noah Whittington on that drive. He rushed for 45 yards on four carries and had a 4-yard reception to set up Atticus Sappington for a 46-yard field goal.

On the second play after the two-minute timeout in the fourth quarter, Iowa found the end zone on fourth-and-goal to take a 1-point lead. Oregon had 1:51 to try to win the game from its own 25-yard line. The biggest play on that drive came on first-and-10 from the Oregon 49-yard line with 30 seconds remaining. Moore heaved a pass through the air that found Malik Benson along the sideline for a 24-yard pickup that put the Ducks in field goal range. Four plays later, Sappington drilled a 39-yard field goal for the lead with three seconds remaining.

“We do two-minutes so many times at practice,” Moore said. “They put us in tough situations, but I’d never been in a situation where I had to do a two-minute drive with the team to win the game.”

In last week’s 42-13 win over Minnesota, the outcome of the game was determined much farther in advance than against Iowa, but Oregon still got the opportunity to execute a quick scoring drive towards the end of the first half.

After a Golden Gophers field goal, the Ducks got the ball at their own 25-yard line with 2:25 remaining in the half. Moore relied heavily on the tight ends on this drive. Jamari Johnson had 24 receiving yards and Kenyon Sadiq had 35. With under a minute to go, Sadiq kept his feet and fought through multiple tacklers as he stumbled toward the end zone, but a replay review confirmed his helmet touched the ground at the three-yard line.

“It’s a high energy play,” Sadiq said. “I didn’t know if your helmet hit the ground, you were down, but now I do. I think it was a good play. It’s unfortunate that my helmet hit the ground.”

Sadiq was unfazed by coming up short. On the next play, he was well contested by the Minnesota defense, but found just enough of an opening to catch the ball on the edge of the end zone with 37 seconds remaining.

“The preparation we have, just the countless situations coach (Dan) Lanning will put us through at practice,” wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan said. “We already did it at practice, so just going out there and having the confidence that we did at practice to go out there and execute it again.”

“I don’t think anyone does two-minute as much as we do,” Sadiq said. “I think Lanning makes sure of that, so I think it’s just repetition. When we get in the game, it’s just like practice.”