An encouraging update has emerged regarding Oregon QB Dante Moore after he was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance following a sickening hit against USC.
The scary incident occurred during the second quarter of the No. 20 Ducks’ 41-27 victory over the No. 12 Trojans on Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Moore scrambled for an 11-yard gain before beginning a slide to protect himself near the USC 12-yard line.
As he went down, USC linebacker Desman Stephens II launched forward and delivered a brutal shoulder strike directly to Moore’s head, snapping it backward before it slammed hard into the turf.
The senior quarterback lay motionless on the field for nearly 15 minutes as medical staff rushed out, placed him in a neck brace and loaded him onto a backboard.
Moore was then wheeled out of the Coliseum tunnel and transported directly to Los Angeles General Medical Center.
An encouraging update has emerged regarding Oregon QB Dante Moore after he was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance following a sickening hit against USC
Moore was hit hard by a shoulder to the head as he slid for a first down in the second quarter
The quarterback lay motionless on the field for nearly 15 minutes as medical staff rushed out
Speaking postgame, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning confirmed the signal-caller is in recovery and showing positive early signs of neurological responsiveness.
‘He’s in recovery, so I don’t want to speak too soon, but he is moving,’ Lanning told reporters. ‘He has the ability to move.’
‘We’ll continue to assess him, but I don’t want to make any speculation or further thoughts on that before we have further information on him,’ Lanning added.
An Oregon team spokesperson also confirmed that Moore retained movement in all of his extremities while undergoing evaluation at the local hospital.
Lanning pulled no punches when assessing the collision, calling out Stephens for an inexcusable lack of sportsmanship after the Trojan defender celebrated the hit.
‘It’s a disgusting play,’ Lanning fumed. ‘You 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, because that’s not a moment you want to be a part of,’ Lanning continued.
The violent play sparked a brawl between both rosters, resulting in offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and the ejection of Stephens for targeting.
Backup quarterback Dylan Raiola stepped in for Moore, completing 19 of 25 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns to guide Oregon to a dominant comeback win.
