Oregon quarterback Dante Moore was knocked unconscious by a frightening hit during the Ducks’ matchup with USC, then taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital.
Moore is widely viewed as one of the leading quarterback prospects in the 2027 NFL Draft after choosing to return to Oregon for his junior season.
His latest college appearance, however, was interrupted by a disturbing incident with 10 minutes left in the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Facing second-and-nine, Moore moved forward through the pocket and scrambled beyond the line needed for a first down.
Near the 12-yard line, he began a feet-first slide. USC defender Desman Stephens II lowered his shoulder and delivered a forceful blow to Moore’s head as the quarterback went down.
Moore appeared to lose consciousness immediately. His body stiffened, while his arms moved into an unusual position commonly described as a fencing response.
Dante Moore was knocked unconscious during a frightening moment in Oregon’s road game against USC.
The Oregon quarterback was struck in the head by a shoulder as he slid for a first down in the second quarter.
After receiving lengthy treatment, Moore was placed in an ambulance and taken to a nearby hospital.
The collision immediately sparked a confrontation, with Oregon players and coaches rushing toward Stephens II. The USC defender appeared to celebrate before Moore’s teammates challenged him.
Officials ultimately ejected Stephens II for targeting, while medical personnel continued treating Moore on the field.
The defender was also seen smiling and exchanging high-fives with USC teammates on the sideline while Moore remained down, drawing heavy criticism across social media.
An ambulance was brought down beside the field after Moore had been stabilized. As he was loaded inside, his Oregon teammates gathered nearby and prayed for him.
According to the NBC broadcast, Moore had movement in his arms and was transported to Los Angeles General Medical Center for further evaluation.
NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay said the officials made the correct decision in enforcing the targeting penalty and ejecting Stephens II.
“The moment he begins his slide, he is considered defenseless,” McAulay explained.
“The defender leads with his shoulder and makes forcible contact with the head and neck area. There is no question this is targeting.”
Desman Stephens II faced criticism after appearing to celebrate following the hit on Moore.
Stephens was seen smiling and high-fiving teammates on the sideline before being ejected from the game.
Moore is regarded as one of the premier quarterback prospects expected to be eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft.
Both teams also received unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for their reactions, meaning all players on both sides were one unsportsmanlike penalty in the rest of the game away from being ejected.
Play resumed with Oregon trailing 10-3 and former Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola replacing Moore at quarterback. He threw a three-yard touchdown pass to cap off the drive that Moore orchestrated before being hurt.
Even USC fans were enraged by Stephens’ reaction to the injury, with TrojansWire writing on X: ‘Forget about any Big 10 suspension for Desman Stephens. USC should not allow him to play for the Trojans again. He doesn’t seem to care. Not showing any contrition for that is *completely* unacceptable. No place in the program for that.’
Another user wrote: ‘How on Earth does Desman Stephens celebrate this? In what world of sports is this even remotely close to being considered a good play? Kick that idiot out of college football. Im mind blown.’
A further response read: ‘This is the USC player that tried to end Dante Moore’s career. Desman Stephens is very pleased with himself. Absolutely disgusting behavior after sending someone away in an ambulance.’
Moore was projected to be one of the top picks in the most recent NFL Draft before he decided to stay in school.
He has had a mixed start to the season, losing to Oklahoma State in a Week 2 upset, but NFL Draft expert Todd McShay recently insisted he is still right on course to be a top-five pick.
‘Dante looks good. Like Dante is still making the throws,’ he noted. ‘There’s an element you want to see as an evaluator though where at some point – we all know the level of poise he has, and the way he carries himself, and the maturity he has, and the smarts he has at that position is all highly coveted – but at some point a quarterback has to kind of take the reins of the team.
‘Whether its vocal, whether its by example, just setting the bar. ‘This is the expectation.’ We now are going to see the rest of the season what Moore is made of in that regard…. Moore’s going to be a top-five pick. This is not a Cade Klubnik or Drew Allar situation where they’re overrated.’