Dante Moore Suffered Concussion vs. USC, Expected to Return This Season

Oregon star quarterback Dante Moore suffered a concussion on Saturday against USC , sources tell CBS Sports.

Moore, per sources, is believed to have avoided any further injury outside of the concussion. He will go through concussion protocol and there is no immediate timeline for his return.

Moore left the game in the second quarter of Oregon's 41-27 win over USC after suffering a terrifying hit, which led to the ejection of Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens.

The game was stopped for several minutes after Moore's injury. He was carted off the field, put in an ambulance and taken to a local hospital. NBC reported during the game that Moore had movement in his extremities.

After the game, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning provided this update on Moore.

"He's in recovery, so I don't want to speak too soon, but he's moving; he has the ability to move," Oregon coach Dan Lanning said after the game. "So, we'll continue to assess him, but I don't want to speak too soon, but he's moving."

Moore completed 8 of 10 passes early in the game against USC before exiting.

A third-team all-Big Ten selection a season ago, Moore entered the season as a projected first-round pick.

> A scary moment as Oregon QB Dante Moore is knocked out by a USC defender. pic.twitter.com/ZV7Rl8lTZv — Underdog CFB (@UnderdogCFB) September 27, 2026

What's next for Oregon?

Dylan Raiola  took Moore's place in the lineup and led Oregon on six scoring drives in seven attempts.

Raiola is expected to lead the Ducks as QB1 in Moore's absence. A former five-star recruit and a two-year starter at Nebraska, Raiola transferred to Oregon this offseason. He knew there was a chance Moore returned to school for his fourth college season, but Raiola was willing to wait at Oregon as a backup due to the program's history of quarterback development and contention.

Now, Oregon could have to count on Raiola during a critical portion of the season.

The Ducks have a bye week this coming weekend before facing undefeated UCLA and Nebraska. Were Raiola to start for the Ducks against the Huskers, it'd be a reunion for Raiola and his former team.

Moore returned to school over entering the 2026 NFL Draft, where he was widely projected as a first-round pick.

He's played reasonably well during Oregon's 3-1 start. Moore has thrown for 926 yards and nine touchdowns while completing 69.7% of his passes.

Reaction to hit

Several Oregon players called Stephens' hit on Moore "dirty"  after the game.

USC coach Lincoln Riley opened his post-game comments by reflecting on the play.

"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."

Stephens' Instagram page was immediately hit with hate messages from fans after the hit, leading to the account going private following the game. He was not made available to the media after USC's loss.

As of Sunday morning,  Stephens' "X" account  remains public.

USC coach Lincoln Riley opened his post-game comments by reflecting on the play.

"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."

Riley faced questions about Stephens' presence on the USC sideline after his ejection.

"Why (was he out there)?" Riley responded. "Because he's on our football team."

Lanning upset

Oregon's coach said he tried to settle his team down after the Moore ordeal and led a team prayer on the sideline, asking his group to keep their composure in the wake of the injury.

"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."

Lanning was asked about USC appearing to celebrate the hit on its sideline.

"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 it.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/dante-moore-injury-qb-concussion-usc-return-season/)._