Dante Moore won’t play against Nebraska, Huskers missing key players, too

We know one quarterback Nebraska football won’t face this week, as Oregon quarterback Dante Moore was ruled out for Saturday’s game in Wednesday’s injury report.

Moore suffered a concussion against USC in the Big Ten opener. He was sliding when he took a nasty shot to the head.

Dylan Raiola replaced him in that game, completing 19 of 25 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns. It was probably the best game of Raiola’s career.

However, last week against UCLA was his worst. Raiola completed just 6 of 19 passes for 43 yards and turned the ball over three times before being replaced by Brock Thomas.

Thomas is a 5-foot-11 senior with just 36 career pass attempts. He provided a spark and nearly brought Oregon back from an 11-point deficit to tie the game. If I had to guess, Raiola will get the start with a short leash.

Either way, it will be fascinating.

Nebraska football could be without two defensive starters

Things don’t look good for Riley Van Poppel. He was listed as doubtful on the initial injury report and didn’t appear on the report until late last week.

The run defense held up fine against Indiana, but Van Poppel has two sacks and four tackles for loss. That’s the kind of player you want in the lineup.

Jamir Conn could be an even bigger loss. The defensive back exited the game in the third quarter, and Nebraska football allowed both touchdowns after he left. His ability to make plays against both the run and the pass is unique.

Others will have to step up, but the Blackshirts will be far from full strength. Dylan Berymon should get more snaps on the defensive line, along with Caleb Benning and possibly Rex Guthrie at safety.

For More Nebraska content, follow us on Twitter, like our Facebook Page, and subscribe to the Husker Big Red YouTube Channel.