USC has added another layer of punishment for Desman Stephens II after his hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore turned a tense second quarter into the defining moment of Saturday’s game at the Coliseum.
Stephens was already tossed for targeting after he lowered his shoulder into Moore as the quarterback was sliding to finish a scramble. Moore was later carted off the field, then hospitalized, and an update afterward said the injury was a concussion with no further damage. That leaves open the possibility of a return once Oregon’s bye week is over.
Now USC has gone further. The program announced Stephens will also miss Saturday’s game against Washington.
The aftermath got messier when Stephens was seen celebrating on the sideline while Moore was still down on the turf. Video of him trading high-fives with teammates spread quickly and only intensified the reaction to the play. Fans piled onto his account with angry messages, and Stephens eventually locked his Instagram profile.
The hit was not the only ugly scene tied to the game. A brawl broke out in the Coliseum stands as players were tangled on the field below, making it the second fan altercation at USC’s home stadium in as many games.
Stephens, a junior out of Michigan, had started for USC all season and entered Saturday with a reputation as a productive tackler. That conversation changed in a hurry.
The play drew criticism well beyond the program, and the suspension gives USC another consequence for a moment that overshadowed Oregon’s 41-27 win. Moore’s recovery now points toward Oregon’s next game after the bye, with an October 10 return against UCLA possible if he clears concussion protocol in time. Oregon backup Dylan Raiola, who came in and rallied the Ducks to the win, said the team responded to seeing Moore go down.
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Oregon Fans Are Livid Over Chris Simms After Dante Moore Hit
The fallout from USCs hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore kept spilling beyond the field, even as the game itself moved on. Desman Stephens IIs collision with Moore became one of the biggest talking points of the matchup, especially after Moore was hospitalized, and the sequence quickly turned into a broader debate about the hit and how it should be judged.
Chris Simms added fuel to that argument during a halftime segment, saying Moore appeared to slide late and left Stephens in a tough spot. That defense drew a loud reaction from Oregon fans on social media, who were already raw from seeing their quarterback go down and were quick to push back on any suggestion that the USC linebacker should be viewed more sympathetically. [Read more 🡒]
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USC Now Faces A Discipline Test After Desman Stephens Controversy
Desman Stephens IIs ejection for targeting Oregon quarterback Dante Moore quickly became more than just a Saturday-night infraction. Moore was diagnosed with a concussion and hospitalized, and USC moved to add another layer of punishment by announcing Stephens will also sit out the next game against Washington.
The reaction has only intensified the pressure around the situation, with the hit drawing national criticism and a wave of fan backlash. Stephens has since locked his social media account, a sign of just how sharply this moment has landed for a program now trying to absorb the discipline issue as well as the fallout around it. [Read more 🡒]