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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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On Saturday night, Oregon's talented quarterback Dante Moore got sent to the hospital in his team's game against the USC Trojans after a brutal late hit from defensive back Desman Stephens II.
Stephens dove at Moore, who was sliding after scrambling with the ball in the second quarter. The hard hit caused the back of Moore's head to hit the ground, and he remained down for several moments before eventually being carted off the field.
The incident drew a penalty, with Stephens getting ejected for the hit. Moore was taken to Los Angeles County Memorial Hospital for further evaluation and was diagnosed with a concussion.
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On Sunday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that USC has suspended Stephens for one game after his rough second-quarter hit on Moore. The Trojans, ranked No. 18 ahead of Saturday night's 41-27 loss to No. 15 Oregon, host the Washington Huskies on Saturday, Oct. 3.
More news: Dan Lanning Calls out ‘Disgusting’ USC Hit That Injured Oregon QB Dante Moore
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After Sunday's suspension announcement, commenters reacted online, with many suggesting the penalty wasn't harsh enough for Stephens after that vicious late hit.
"[expletive] penalty.. dude should be kicked off the team... The fact he did it - then celebrated with his team....," a commenter wrote, replying to Schefter's X post.
"So the Big10 is basically saying its ok to purposefully badly injure a college kid and celebrate. Good to know," another commenter wrote regarding the news.
"One game for the late hit. Should be remainder of the season for acting like a moron afterwards," a commenter suggested.
After his hit on Moore, Stephens celebrated with teammates and taunted Oregon over the play. That caused a skirmish on the field, as Oregon players took exception to Stephens' antics, and shoving ensued.
The Ducks had backup quarterback Dylan Raiola replace Moore for the rest of the game. Raiola finished with 289 passing yards and two touchdowns in the win, as the Ducks improved to 3-1.
"Desman's actions in last night's game are unacceptable and are not reflective of USC Football nor of his personal character. He understands his mistake, accepts the consequences of his actions and will learn from this. The entire Trojan Family wishes Dante a full recovery, and we send our best regards to him and his family," USC coach Lincoln Riley said in a statement Sunday, per ESPN.
This season, Stephens has 19 total tackles and 0.5 sacks for the Trojans, who fell to 4-1 with Saturday night's loss.
It was a scary injury and could have been much worse, but Oregon has optimism about Moore's return. CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reported on Sunday that the star QB will go through concussion protocol and is expected to return this season.
Oregon has a week off after their recent win, and next hosts the No. 23 UCLA Bruins on Saturday, Oct. 10.
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