Dante Moore Hospitalized After Late Hit in Oregon Game Against USC

Scary Scene in Los Angeles

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore was taken off the field by ambulance on Saturday following a scary play against USC. The incident happened during the second quarter of the matchup in Los Angeles. Moore was scrambling on a first down play deep in Trojans territory when the hit occurred.

As the quarterback scrambled up the field, he attempted to slide to end the play. While he was heading toward the ground, USC linebacker Desman Stephens II hit him hard. The force of the contact caused Moore's head to slam into the ground. Moore remained down on the turf as medical personnel rushed to his aid.

Tempers Flare After the Hit

While Moore was down on the field, a fight broke out between both teams at midfield. The situation escalated quickly, forcing coaches from both Oregon and USC to rush onto the field to separate several players.

The officials handed out unsportsmanlike conduct penalties to both teams for the altercation. Stephens was called for targeting for his hit on Moore, which resulted in his disqualification from the remainder of the game.

Medical staff attended to Moore on the ground for an extended period of time. After being treated on the turf, Moore was carefully placed on a stretcher and loaded onto a cart. He was driven off the field and moved onto another gurney before being loaded into an ambulance near the tunnel.

Raiola Steps In After Moore Injury

The injury is a major blow to Oregon. Moore had opted to return to the program after a stellar junior season. Leading up to Saturday's game, he had put up impressive numbers, throwing for 849 yards and nine touchdowns.

Following the injury, backup quarterback Dylan Raiola came into the game to lead the offense. Raiola, a transfer who came to Oregon from Nebraska, did not waste any time making his presence felt. On his very first pass attempt of the contest, Raiola threw a 3 yard touchdown pass to Evan Stewart. Oregon will now have to rely on Raiola as they await updates on Moore's condition.