LOS ANGELES -- Just over a quarter into a matchup between No. 20 Oregon and No. 12 USC that was already jam-packed with emotion and saddled with plenty of stakes, Ducks star quarterback Dante Moore was carted off the field and taken by an ambulance to the hospital after a late hit by Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens II.
The hit, which happened as Moore was attempting to slide on a scramble, slammed the quarterback's head into the ground and left him down on the field for an extended period of time. It prompted a fight between both teams on the field. Stephens was ejected for targeting.
"It was a disgusting play," Oregon coach Dan Lanning said after the Ducks' 41-27 win. "The energy changed. A lot of guys on the sideline, they were emotional in that moment, including myself."
After the entire team huddled around Moore, he was taken to nearby Los Angeles General County Hospital. A team spokesperson said he had movement in all of his extremities and was being evaluated thoroughly.
Lanning provided a positive update after the game.
"He's in recovery, so I'm not going to speak too soon, but he is moving," Lanning said. "He has the ability to move. So we continue to assess him."
Moore, who was widely projected to be a top pick in the 2027 NFL draft and was a preseason Heisman contender, was replaced by Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola. With emotions running high after Moore's departure, Lanning called in his team for a prayer, and the Ducks found themselves galvanized by his absence.
"Seeing him like that shook the whole team," Raiola said. "But at the same time, we knew that it was our brother and we were gonna fight for him."
Said cornerback Brandon Finney Jr.: "It brought a team that was already connected even closer. It was all about making sure we had controlled aggression."
After working through his initial reaction to the hit, Lanning challenged his team to play with passion "in between the whistles," knowing that the chippiness between the teams was likely to continue throughout the game.
"There's some breathing exercises that go on," Lanning said. "I thought our guys had unbelievable composure throughout the night."
Multiple Oregon players called Stephens' hit a dirty play. While Stephens was ejected, he did come back out onto the USC sideline for the rest of the game. Asked why Stephens was allowed to come back on the sideline, USC coach Lincoln Riley said it was because "he's on our football team."
Riley began his news conference by saying he hoped Moore was doing OK, and Lanning complimented Riley's postgame inquiry into Moore's health. Asked whether Stephens should be given further discipline for the hit, Lanning said he deferred that decision to either the Big Ten or Riley. He made sure to note, however, that "our guys respect the game."
"We knew it was very dirty," Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr. said. "It lit a fire in me. We had a plan to play fast and physical. When that happened, it went up even more."
Oregon's physicality in the second half overwhelmed the Trojans, who were outscored 28-17 over the final two quarters. Even without Moore, the Ducks' offense did not appear to miss a beat. Raiola finished with 289 yards and two touchdowns.
"The ultimate goal is to win," Raiola said. "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. ... The wolf came out, and we made sure that our prey felt what we'd been preparing for all week."
If there wasn't enough satisfaction in the win itself, Lanning had no problem basking in it further during his news conference. He called out USC's home attendance, saying he hadn't seen the Coliseum full all season until the Ducks came to town.
He also sent an unprompted message about Oregon's recent record against USC.
"3-0 against these guys," Lanning said. "I guess if you're a good football player in the area, you should come to Oregon. Or you can stay in L.A. and go to a Chris Brown concert."