Oregon QB Dante Moore Knocked Out by Targeting Hit in USC Win
The short version
- Oregon QB Dante Moore left the game in an ambulance after a targeting hit by USC LB Desman Stephens II in the second quarter.
- Stephens was disqualified for the remainder of the game; unsportsmanlike penalties were called on both teams after benches emptied.
- Stephens was shown smiling and celebrating while Moore was still on the field receiving medical attention.
- Oregon coach Dan Lanning called the play 'disgusting' but declined to fault USC coach Lincoln Riley, who expressed concern for Moore.
- Oregon went on to win the game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Oregon beat USC in Los Angeles, but the game was overshadowed by an illegal hit that sent quarterback Dante Moore to the hospital and drew a sharp rebuke from Ducks coach Dan Lanning.
The Oregon Ducks defeated the USC Trojans on Saturday evening at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, but the victory was overshadowed by an injury to quarterback Dante Moore and the fallout from the play that caused it.
The incident came around the 10-minute mark of the second quarter. Moore escaped the pocket and scrambled for a first down deep in USC territory. As he began to slide, Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens II lowered his shoulder and delivered a blow to the head of the sliding quarterback. Stephens was flagged for targeting and ejected for the remainder of the game.
Moore went into an involuntary fencing position immediately after the hit, an indication often associated with a loss of consciousness. Medical staff from both sidelines rushed to his aid, and he was eventually taken off the field in an ambulance and did not return to the game.
The scene grew chaotic while Moore was down, with both benches emptying as players from each sideline came onto the field. Unsportsmanlike conduct penalties were assessed on both teams. Cameras caught Stephens celebrating the hit during the stoppage, at one point throwing his arms up and later smiling and exchanging high-fives with teammates while Moore was still on the ground.
After the game, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning was asked about both the hit and Stephens' reaction. He said he had not seen the celebration himself because his focus was on his own sideline, but called the report of it disappointing. He emphasized that he and his team concentrate only on what they can control rather than on the opposition.
Lanning made clear he would not expect that kind of response from his own program. "Our guys respect the game. I don't think you'd ever see that from our players. I don't think you'd ever see that from our coaches," he said.
The Oregon coach also declined to place blame on USC head coach Lincoln Riley, noting that he could not speak to something he did not witness and that Riley was quick to express concern for the injured player, which Lanning appreciated.
On the play itself, Lanning did not hold back. "It's a disgusting play," he said. "You don't want to see it happen. It's disappointing that it happened. I'm praying our player's healthy, and I'm praying their player can learn from that situation, because that's not a moment you want to be a part of."
Games to watch
