Oregon's star quarterback Dante Moore was carted off the field in a neck brace and taken away in an ambulance Saturday night after USC linebacker Desman Stephens II drove his shoulder into Moore's head as Moore began a feet-first slide during the Ducks' Big Ten opener against USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Moore went stiff on the ground immediately after the collision, and trainers strapped him to a stretcher as Oregon players surrounded him and prayed before he was taken off the field.
The hit came from USC linebacker Desman Stephens II, who was ejected for targeting on the play, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive. Moore's arms extended into an unnatural, rigid posture on the turf before he went motionless — a fencing response that NBC Sports says frequently accompanies serious head trauma. Moore was taken to Los Angeles General Medical Center; per the NBC broadcast of the game, he had movement in his arms and legs as he was loaded into the ambulance.
Brawl Breaks Out as Officials Restore Order
The hit ignited an on-field altercation, with Oregon and USC players from both sidelines pouring onto the field before coaches and officials could separate them. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning was seen admonishing USC players amid the chaos. The stoppage lasted roughly 15 minutes as coaches and officials worked to restore order.
Moore's exit came with Oregon trailing USC 7-3 with 10:05 left in the second quarter. Backup quarterback Dylan Raiola, who transferred from Nebraska in 2026 specifically to sit behind Moore, entered the game in his place — and connected with Evan Stewart for a touchdown on his second snap, per the same account. Raiola threw for 4,819 yards and 31 touchdowns across two seasons as Nebraska's starter before making the move to Eugene.
An Elite Start Cut Short
Before he was hurt, Moore had thrown for 849 yards, nine touchdowns and zero interceptions through Oregon's first three games of 2026, according to StatMuse. Oregon faced Indiana in a Peach Bowl semifinal, a matchup Hoodline covered in its report on Oregon's Peach Bowl showdown.
Moore had entered 2026 as a projected top-10, first-round NFL draft pick before opting to return to Eugene for another shot at a national championship, per NBC Sports.
Stephens Ejected for Targeting
Stephens, a USC linebacker, was ejected for targeting.
Saturday's matchup carried extra weight as the Big Ten conference opener for Oregon, pitting the former Pac-12 rivals against each other with Oregon entering at 2-1 and USC at 3-1. The Ducks had stumbled to a 39-31 loss to Oklahoma State in Week 2 before responding with an 84-0 rout of Portland State in Week 3.
What comes next for Moore remains unknown, as does whether USC or conference officials will take any further action against Stephens beyond his in-game ejection. Oregon now turns to Raiola to steer its Big Ten schedule while the program awaits word on its starting quarterback's condition.
