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Dante Moore is going to be just fine. Oregon’s quarterback took a brutal late hit during Saturday night’s 41-27 win over USC, and head coach Dan Lanning confirmed Sunday night that Moore suffered a concussion but is expected back on the field at some point this season.
“Dante sustained a concussion in last night’s game, but fortunately, his MRI and CT scans came back clean, and he did not suffer any additional injuries,” Lanning said in his statement. “Every concussion is different, and we are going to move forward with an abundance of caution to ensure we make the best decisions for Dante and his future.”
Moore got carted off the field early in the second quarter and taken straight to a local hospital. The hit was bad enough that officials ejected USC linebacker Desman Stephens II on the spot. USC didn’t wait long to respond either; the school announced Sunday that Stephens would sit out one game because of it.
Medical staff transported Moore to Los Angeles General Medical Center. Both sidelines ended up getting hit with personal fouls after things got heated in the aftermath, with Stephens appearing to celebrate the hit before the chaos broke out.
“He’s in recovery, so I don’t want to speak too soon, but he’s moving; he has the ability to move,” Lanning told reporters right after the game. “So, we’ll continue to assess him, but I don’t want to speak too soon, but he’s moving.”
A scary moment as Oregon QB Dante Moore is knocked out by a USC defender. https://t.co/ZV7Rl8lTZv— Underdog CFB (@UnderdogCFB) September 27, 2026
Lanning didn’t hold back
Lanning said he pulled his team together on the sideline and led a prayer, trying to keep everyone calm after watching their quarterback go down.
“It’s a disgusting play,” Lanning said. “We don’t want to see it happen. It’s disappointing that it happened. I’m praying that our player’s healthy, and I’m praying that their player can learn from that situation.
“There’s a reason targeting exists in football, and it’s as clear as day targeting. It’s a shame that that happened to a good player when, in my mind, that certainly could have been avoided.”
Stephens facing backlash
Multiple Oregon players called the hit “dirty” after the game, and several said flat out they believed Stephens meant to do it.
Fans didn’t waste any time either. Stephens’ Instagram got flooded with hate messages almost immediately, and he ended up setting the account to private before the night was over. USC kept him away from reporters afterward.
His X account, as of Sunday morning, was still public.
USC coach Lincoln Riley addressed the hit right at the top of his postgame press conference.
“Never want to see that with any opponent, no matter how competitive the game is,” Riley said. “These are all people at the end of the day on both sides. So, wish him a speedy recovery.”
Reporters pressed Riley on why Stephens was allowed back on the USC sideline after getting tossed from the game.
“Why (was he out there)?” Riley shot back. “Because he’s on our football team.”
Lincoln Riley responds to questions about Desman Stephens returning to the sideline following the hit on Dante Moore. https://t.co/631RSZ5LCO— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 27, 2026
Someone also asked Lanning if he’d seen USC’s sideline reacting to the hit like it was something to celebrate.
“I didn’t see any of that, and if that’s the way somebody else was operating, that’s really disappointing,” Lanning said. “In that moment, for me, I challenge myself to focus on the moment and things I can control. We try to have a singular focus. Our guys respect the game. I don’t think that’s necessarily an indictment on coach Riley, because I can’t speak to what I didn’t see.”
Enter Dylan Raiola
With Moore sidelined, backup Dylan Raiola stepped in and looked nothing like a guy thrown into an unexpected situation. He piled up 270 yards across four touchdown drives in the second half alone, and his go-ahead 29-yard touchdown throw to Dakorien Moore with 8:35 left was about as clean a placement as you’ll see in single coverage.
“The ultimate goal is to win,” Raiola said afterward. “No matter how it happens, no matter, sadly, whoever goes down, the game of football doesn’t feel sorry for us. We’ve got to step up and we’ve got to keep fighting. And those guys in our locker room did just that.”
Raiola transferred to Oregon from Nebraska this offseason, and it’s easy to see why Lanning wanted him around as insurance. He came in with two years of starting experience in the Big Ten and plenty of recruiting hype to match.
This game meant something extra to Raiola too. His 2025 season against USC ended with an injury, so beating the Trojans again carried some personal weight.
“Last time I played these dudes, I left with a broken leg,” Raiola said. “I knew we would fight to the end, and I’m not leaving here without a W.”
Oregon has now beaten USC five straight times.
Lanning came away impressed with how comfortable Raiola looked running the offense under pressure.
“Dylan was great, man. I think a lot of times when guys come into that situation, they feel like all of a sudden they have to press,” Lanning said. “I think what gave Dylan confidence was, ‘I’ve got great players around me. I’m going to take what they give me.’”
“There were probably a couple of decisions tonight where I’m like, ‘Okay, that’s not where we wanted the ball to go.’ Very few of those. There were a lot of decisions where he did a great job of getting rid of the ball.”
Raiola bailed out several drives in the second half just by staying patient, avoiding pressure and putting the ball where it needed to go.
“I thought he utilized his ability to scramble at times on pass plays that could have been sacks. He did a great job of continuing to move down the field and keeping his eyes downfield,” Lanning said.
