Dante Moore was taken from the Coliseum in an ambulance after sustaining a frightening hit during Saturday’s game against USC Trojans.
What happened to Dante Moore?
The Heisman Trophy contender was placed in a neck brace and transported away on a stretcher following a collision with USC linebacker Desman Stephens during the second quarter.
Moore picked up 10 yards on a second-and-9 play before sliding feet-first to the turf. As Moore’s knee touched the ground, Stephens delivered a shoulder hit to the quarterback’s head, causing the back of Moore’s head to strike the field.
The Oregon quarterback immediately displayed a fencing response, a movement that can occur following significant head trauma.
The Big Ten matchup was stopped for roughly 15 minutes as medical personnel attended to Moore and carefully transported him from the field on a cart. Oregon players surrounded their quarterback as he was taken away, offering support before the cart moved a short distance toward an ambulance positioned near the Coliseum tunnel.
Moore remained strapped to the stretcher and could be seen moving both hands as he was loaded into the ambulance. Before the hit forced him out of Saturday’s contest, the 21-year-old had completed eight of his 10 passes for 77 yards.
With the quarterback unable to continue, Dylan Raiola stepped in under center and made an immediate impact. On his second snap, Raiola connected with Evan Stewart for a touchdown that gave Oregon a 10-7 lead.
Dan Lanning provides update
Oregon coach Dan Lanning provided a brief update on Dante Moore during his halftime radio interview, saying the quarterback was “moving his extremities” before being taken from the field.
“We’re getting him checked out. Obviously we’ve got to be very thorough with that looks like. We’re all praying for him right now,” Lanning said.
Desman Stephens II ejected after the play
Meanwhile, Stephens was penalized for targeting and ejected from the contest. He has been a starter for the Trojans after recording 89 tackles during the previous season.
The incident also sparked tensions between the teams, with several Oregon players confronting Stephens and players from both sides beginning to move away from their respective sidelines as a potential confrontation threatened to escalate.
What does NCAA rule say?
Under NCAA targeting regulations, defenders are not permitted to make forcible contact with the head or neck of an opponent who is considered defenseless. The rule specifically identifies a quarterback who is in the process of sliding or going to the ground as a defenseless player.
Moore entered game with hype
Moore entered the USC matchup amid high expectations after an impressive start to the season. Through Oregon’s first three games, he had completed 61 of 89 attempts for 849 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions.
He was already viewed as one of the most prominent players in college football and had appeared on preseason watch lists for several major awards, including the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.