Oregon quarterback Dante Moore was carted off in the second quarter of Saturday night's 41-27 win over USC after taking a hit to the head while sliding on a scramble.
A scrum ensued after the play, and the referees had to separate the two teams. Trojans defensive back Desman Stephens received a targeting penalty and was disqualified from the game.
Moore stayed down for several moments as medical personnel attended to him, and he was carted off on a stretcher after his helmet was removed. NBC's broadcast reported that Moore was moving his legs and fingers before being transported to Los Angeles General Medical Center.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning called the hit "a disgusting play" after the game, according to The Associated Press' Greg Beacham.
"There's a reason targeting exists in football," Lanning added. "That'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."
Lanning also confirmed that Moore was moving but didn't offer further details.
"He's in recovery, so I don't want to speak too soon, but he is moving. He has the ability to move," the coach told reporters, including The Oregonian's Aaron J. Fentress. "We'll continue to assess him, but I don't want to make any speculation or have further thoughts on that until we have more information on him."
Lanning ended his postgame presser by taking a jab at USC.
"Three wins against these guys," he said, according to Jordan Mendoza of USA Today. "I guess if you're interested in winning football games and you're from this area, you should go to Oregon. If you want to go to a Chris Brown concert, you should go here."
Moore has been Oregon's starter since the start of last season and is projected to be one of the top quarterbacks in the 2027 NFL Draft. He completed 68.5% of his throws for 849 yards with nine touchdowns and zero interceptions entering Saturday's game.
Backup quarterback Dylan Raiola entered the contest after Moore exited, and the junior finished off a touchdown drive a couple of plays later. Raiola and wide receiver Evan Stewart put up Moore's No. 5 after scoring the touchdown.
Dylan Raiola and Evan Stewart showed love to Dante Moore after scoring 🫶
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 27, 2026
Moore left the game with an injury earlier on the Oregon drive. pic.twitter.com/Pg9s6ljO2m
Raiola was outstanding while filling in for Moore, completing 19 of 25 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns. He was a five-star recruit in the 2024 class and started for Nebraska for his first two years before transferring to Oregon.
He'd thrown for 4,934 yards with 34 touchdowns in 23 career games before relieving Moore against USC.
