Dante Moore Has Concussion After Late Hit; USC Suspends Stephens

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore has a concussion, the club announced on Sunday, a day after a late hit from USC linebacker Desman Stephens II in the second quarter. His MRI and CT scans came back clean.

"Dante sustained a concussion in last night's game but fortunately his MRI and CT scans came back clean and he did not suffer any additional injuries," Oregon coach Dan Lanning said in a statement. "Every concussion is different and we are going to move forward with an abundance of caution."

Moore was sliding to end an 11-yard run to the USC 12 when Stephens hit him in the head and chest with his shoulder. Moore's helmet snapped back against the turf. Stephens was ejected for targeting. He was seen celebrating afterwards, and Oregon players confronted him before he left the field. Both sidelines had to be separated.

USC suspended Stephens for one game on Sunday, over the hit and over the celebration. Head coach Lincoln Riley said in a statement: "Desman's actions in last night's game are unacceptable and are not reflective of USC Football nor of his personal character."

Stephens apologised in a statement released by the university. "My reaction in the moments afterward was completely inappropriate and inexcusable," he said.

Lanning had called the hit "disgusting" after the game and said: "I don't think you'd ever see that from our players."

Dylan Raiola replaced Moore and led Oregon to a 41-27 win over the No. 12 Trojans, the Ducks' first ranked win of the season. He completed 19 of 25 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns.

Lanning also spoke about the crowd. "I watched three of their TV games and I haven't seen a game packed yet," he said. "It was packed tonight. So I guess when the Ducks show up, that's how you fill up the Coliseum." He pointed to his 3-0 record against USC since arriving in Eugene, and added: "If you want to go to a Chris Brown concert, you should go here."

Moore is expected to return at some point this season, according to reports. Oregon host unbeaten UCLA next week. If Moore is not cleared in time, Raiola is likely to start again.