The tenor of a Big Ten rivalry between West Coast powerhouses changed in the blink of an eye.
After USC linebacker Desman Stephens II delivered a blow to Oregon quarterback Dante Moore early in the second quarter of Saturday’s matchup, the differing reactions from each team impacted the outcome of the Ducks’ 41-27 victory — and the conversation that followed.
As Moore lay motionless on the turf for over 10 minutes —before being lifted onto a stretcher, transferred into an ambulance and taken to Los Angeles General Medical Center — the gravity of the moment sunk in as both teams returned to their respective sidelines.
Moore had just been taken away on a stretcher. The Ducks were angry — and shaken — after losing their quarterback. And before they took the field, Lanning brought his players together in a circle.
What he said next captured the emotion the team was feeling.
“We saw that s–t was cheap,” Lanning said of Stephens’ hit. “Best thing we can do, right? Is go fight for our f—–g brother.”
“Everybody grab hands, bow your heads. Dear God, we need you right now to protect Dante. He put his life on his line for his team,” Lanning said as he led the team in prayer.
The injury gave the Ducks a renewed sense of purpose.
“What you ask yourself is, what’s the best way to honor Dante,” Lanning said in his postgame press conference. “Energy changed when Dante got hurt. We had a lot of guys that were emotional in that moment, including myself. These guys went out and played for him.”
After coming together in prayer, Oregon returned to the field, beginning to huddle for a first-and-goal opportunity as, less than 30 yards away, an ambulance whisked Moore away. Two plays later, backup quarterback Dylan Raiola connected with wide receiver Evan Stewart for a 3-yard touchdown, both players holding up all five fingers in honor of Moore, who wears No. 5.
The Ducks responded as Raiola threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns through three quarters, leading four second-half touchdown drives. Oregon’s defense made timely stops, including a turnover on downs at USC’s 49-yard line with 7:41 remaining to help seal the game.
“You see your brother get hurt and you want to react. I want to react,” Lanning said. “The big key for me is, let’s play with our passion.”
Oregon did just that. USC, however, responded differently.
Stephens was seen celebrating his hit on Moore. He fluttered his hands and pranced in the back of the end zone before returning to the sideline, where he dapped up teammates with a smile. Stephens was disqualified for targeting but remained on USC’s sideline for the rest of the game, as allowed under NCAA rules.
When asked about Stephens’ reaction, USC head coach Lincoln Riley said he did not see the celebration, and he remained on the sideline because “he’s on our football team.”
USC announced it was suspending Stephens one game for his conduct, as both he and Riley issued apologetic statements.
When the hit happened, USC radio broadcast play-by-play announcer Pete Arbogast didn’t believe it was targeting.
“He did not try to slide feet first,” Arbogast said on the air. “Stephens went in helmet-first, but he kind of ran into Dante Moore, who ducked into that hit.
“I did not see him put his feet out first. I saw him dive forward.”
Barstool Sports founder and Big Noon Kickoff analyst Dave Portnoy took to X to display his thoughts on the radio call.
“Unfortunately, there are far too many homers in sports media,” Portnoy said. “People who can’t be objective when covering their teams ruin everything they do.”
Moore took to Instagram on Monday, saying he has “made progress” since Saturday night. The Ducks have not provided a timetable for his return.
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