USC suspends Desman Stephens II after hit that hospitalized Dante Moore

USC suspended linebacker Desman Stephens II after a targeting hit left Oregon quarterback Dante Moore hospitalized during a 41-27 Oregon win on Saturday.

USC has suspended linebacker Desman Stephens II in response to the late hit that hospitalized Oregon quarterback Dante Moore during the Ducks' 41-27 victory over the Trojans on Saturday.

The play happened in the first half. Moore broke from the pocket to scramble and, just as he began to slide, absorbed a blow to the head from Stephens. Officials flagged the hit as targeting and ejected Stephens, while Moore left the field on a cart and was transported to a hospital.

A spokesperson for Oregon later provided an update, saying the quarterback "had movement in all of his extremities" and "was being evaluated."

Lincoln Riley, USC's head coach, addressed the situation in a statement issued Sunday. He described Stephens' actions as "unacceptable" and "not reflective of USC Football nor of his personal character," while saying the linebacker "understands his mistake, accepts the consequences of his actions and will learn from this." Riley closed by noting that "the entire Trojan Family wishes Dante a full recovery" and offered best regards to the quarterback and his family.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning was openly frustrated when he met reporters after the game. "It was a disgusting play," Lanning said. "The energy changed. A lot of guys on the sideline, they were emotional in that moment, including myself." While Moore remained on the ground, fighting broke out between players on both rosters, and each side drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Backup quarterback Dylan Raiola ran the Oregon offense the rest of the way and later spoke about the emotional weight of the scene. "Seeing him like that shook the whole team," Raiola said. "But at the same time, we knew that it was our brother, and we were gonna fight for him."

Stephens drew additional criticism for appearing to celebrate after delivering the hit. In a statement issued Sunday, he acknowledged that "seeing a player injured like that is incredibly serious" and called his own reaction "completely inappropriate and inexcusable." He said that regardless of "what was going through my mind at the time, there is no justification for smiling or celebrating while another player receives medical attention," and stated that "that is not the person or teammate I want to be." He accepted "full responsibility," said the behavior "is not representative of USC or our program," told "Dante, his family and everyone who saw my reaction" that he was deeply sorry, and voiced hope for "a full and speedy recovery."

Moore earned third-team All-Big Ten honors last season, a year in which he threw for 3,565 yards with 30 touchdowns against 10 interceptions on a team that finished 13-2.

The current season had opened productively for the quarterback, with 849 passing yards and nine passing touchdowns across three games. Once forecast as a top selection in this year's NFL draft, he instead returned to the college ranks.