Who hit Dante Moore? USC defender slammed for targeting Oregon QB, celebrating hit

Who hit Dante Moore? USC defender slammed for targeting Oregon QB, celebrating hit

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Who hit Dante Moore? USC defender slammed for targeting Oregon QB, celebrating hit
Dante Moore

Who hit Dante Moore? USC defender slammed for targeting Oregon QB, celebrating hit originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Any rivalry between USC and Oregon was intensified Saturday night when Ducks QB Dante Moore found himself on the receiving end of a massive hit that seemed to knock him unconscious.

The hit, which was ruled targeting, sparked a near-melee as Oregon players and coaches rushed to Moore's defense.

Moore, meanwhile, remained down for several minutes before being taken away in a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance. Fortunately, Moore could be seen moving his extremities while being carted off.

Here's what you need to know about the USC defender who hit Moore and why his reaction is being heavily criticized.

MORE:Latest injury updates on Dante Moore

Who hit Dante Moore?

Moore was hit in the head by the shoulder of USC linebacker Desman Stephens II, who was ejected for the game as a result.

Stephens is a junior who committed to USC out of Michigan as part of the Trojans' 2024 recruiting class. A starter in 2025, Stephens had 89 tackles, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble for Lincoln Riley's squad.

On Saturday night, Stephens lowered his shoulder into Moore's head as the quarterback was sliding at the end of a run. As soon as he slammed into Moore, Oregon players and coaches erupted with frustration.

As medical staffers tended to Moore, Stephens could be seen either celebrating the hit or egging on Oregon players who came to Moore's defense.

NBC cameras also captured Stephens' interactions with teammates after the hit, behavior some fans found inappropriate. 

Here's a look at the play that sent Moore out of the game.

MORE:Was Michigan hit by two seconds of karma in stunning loss?

Dante Moore injury video

Stephens lowered his shoulder and made direct contact with Moore's head as the Oregon star was sliding:

It took mere seconds for Oregon's players and coaches to erupt in anger, sparking a skirmish between the two teams with Ducks coach Dan Lanning among those seen screaming at USC's players.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos