Oregon quarterback Dante Moore was carried off on a backboard and driven to a Los Angeles hospital in an ambulance Saturday night after a targeting hit at the Coliseum. The diagnosis, confirmed over the weekend, is a concussion.
Moore’s CT scan and MRI came back clean, he has been discharged, and Oregon won the game 41-27.
What happened
The hit came in the second quarter. Moore was sliding at the end of a scramble when USC linebacker Desman Stephens II arrived late and high, driving the back of Moore’s head into the turf. Officials called targeting and ejected Stephens. Both teams picked up personal fouls in the scrum that followed.
Moore had been sharp before he left, 8 of 10 for 77 yards. Oregon coach Dan Lanning confirmed after the game that Moore had movement in his extremities on the field.
Lanning did not hold back
Lanning called the play disgusting and said it was clear as day targeting, adding that it could have been avoided. USC’s Lincoln Riley said he never wants to see that with any opponent and wished Moore a fast recovery.
What made it worse was what came next. Stephens was seen smiling and celebrating while Moore was receiving medical attention, and the reaction to that was immediate and loud.
USC’s response was one game
Riley suspended Stephens for a single game. Announcing it, Riley said the linebacker’s actions were unacceptable and not reflective of USC football, and that Stephens accepted the consequences. Stephens issued an apology acknowledging there is no justification for smiling or celebrating while another player receives medical attention.
He misses the Washington game and is eligible to return against Penn State on October 10. One game is light for a hit that put a quarterback in an ambulance, and plenty of people said so out loud.
Where Oregon goes from here
Lanning has not attached a timetable to Moore’s return, saying the program will move forward with an abundance of caution because every concussion is different. That is the correct posture. Moore is a projected first-round pick with a long professional career in front of him, and there is no version of this where rushing him back is worth it.
The calendar cooperates. Oregon has a bye before facing UCLA on October 10, which gives Moore two weeks to clear protocol without missing a snap he cannot afford to lose. The expectation is that he plays again this season.
Dylan Raiola handled the rest of Saturday about as well as a backup can, finishing 19 of 25 for 289 yards and two touchdowns while the offense scored on six of seven possessions. If Moore is not cleared in time, Oregon is not starting over at quarterback. The Ducks still need Moore, and the sport needs the officiating and the discipline around hits like this one to stop treating a knockout as a one-week inconvenience.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.