Oregon QB Dante Moore has 'ability to move' after leaving game vs. USC with apparent head injury following violent hit

Oregon's Dante Moore was injured in the second quarter of the No. 20 Ducks' 41-27 win over No. 12 USC after he took a hit to the head while sliding on a scramble.

Moore's head violently hit the ground after he went into the slide on a hit by Desman Stephens II that drew an immediate flag. The teams had to be separated after the hit as Oregon players were furious and other flags were thrown.

After training staff attended to Moore on the field for several minutes, he was taken to a waiting cart on a backboard. Moore was greeted by numerous teammates after he was loaded onto the cart and, per the NBC broadcast, was moving his arms.

An ambulance was driven out of the tunnel at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Moore was placed into it. He was transported to Los Angeles General Medical Center.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning confirmed after the game that Moore was able to move.

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

Stephens was ejected for targeting. The entirety of both Oregon and USC's teams were assessed personal fouls for the post-hit kerfuffle as Stephens celebrated his hit on Moore.

Moore was replaced by Dylan Raiola . The former Nebraska QB transferred to Oregon in the offseason. Two plays after he entered, Raiola threw a play-action TD pass to Evan Stewart to give the Ducks a 10-7 lead.

He wound up delivering a strong performance, completing 19 of 25 passes for 289 yards and 2 TDs as the Ducks pulled away in the second half.

Moore entered the season as one of the favorites for the 2026 Heisman Trophy after he decided to return to school. He had a chance to be a top-two pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but chose to remain with Oregon after the Ducks were eliminated in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff by eventual national champion Indiana.

In his first season as a starter in 2025, Moore completed 72% of his passes for 3,565 yards and 30 TDs with 10 interceptions. Entering Week 4, Moore had thrown for 849 yards and nine touchdowns with no interceptions.