Dante Moore injury update: Major concussion news after scary USC hit
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Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore suffered a concussion in Saturday’s 41-27 win at USC, and the Ducks’ Heisman Trophy hopeful is expected to return this season after a late hit sent him to a Los Angeles hospital.
Moore didn’t suffer any other injuries beyond the concussion, according to a Sunday report from college football reporters Chris Hummer and Matt Zenitz. He’ll now go through concussion protocol, and there’s no immediate timeline for his return.
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How did Dante Moore get hurt?
Moore, ranked No. 8 in a preseason list of college football’s most important players, scrambled in the second quarter at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. He reached the first-down marker and slid. USC linebacker Desman Stephens II hit him late, and the back of Moore’s head slammed into the turf.
Officials ejected Stephens for targeting. Players from both teams came together after the play, and officials flagged both sides for personal fouls.
The game stopped for 15 minutes while trainers treated Moore on the field. The Detroit native was placed on a backboard, loaded onto a cart and driven to an ambulance that took him to Los Angeles General Medical Center. He moved his arms as he left the field.
“Certainly the energy changed whenever Dante got hurt,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said, per Oregon Live. “We had a lot of guys on the sideline that were emotional in that moment, including myself, but right now indications are that he’s in recovery, so I don’t want to speak too soon, but he is moving, he has the ability to move.”
Lanning also called the hit “disgusting.” Moore completed 8 of 10 passes for 77 yards before he left.
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Dylan Raiola leads Oregon past USC
Backup quarterback Dylan Raiola started two years at Nebraska before transferring to Oregon in January. On his second snap, he threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Evan Stewart. He finished 19 of 25 for 289 yards and two touchdowns.
USC erased a 10-point deficit in the second half and tied the game with 12:41 left. Raiola answered with a 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dakorien Moore. The Ducks held on for their fifth straight win over the Trojans.
Oregon piled up 504 total yards and improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play. Raiola broke his fibula against USC while playing for Nebraska in 2025, ending his season. His big night came against that same program.
When could Dante Moore play again?
The 6-foot-3 senior entered the USC game with 849 passing yards, nine touchdowns and zero interceptions through three games. He earned third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2025 after he threw for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as Oregon went 13-2.
Oregon has a bye this week, which gives Moore extra time to work through protocol before the Ducks face UCLA on Oct. 10. Raiola is the projected starter if Moore isn’t cleared by then.
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