Oregon star QB Dante Moore carted off vs. USC after taking violent late hit in second quarter of Big Ten tilt

Moore took a massive hit to his head after sliding on a scramble against USC Sep 26, 2026 at 9:10 pm ET • 3 min read Oregon's star quarterback Dante Moore was carted off the field in the second quarter after taking a brutal late hit to the head on a slide against USC. Moore was scrambling for a first down and went into his slide when USC linebacker Desman Stephens II launched into his head, seemingly knocking Moore out as he went into a fencing reaction immediately after getting hit. Stephens was ejected for targeting upon review, and a fight broke out between the two teams as Oregon players rushed to defend their quarterback. Moore remained down on the field for an extended period of time as he was tended to by the athletic training staff. He was put on a backboard and eventually carted off the field. NBC reported that Moore had his eyes closed as he was stabilized and loaded onto the board, but was moving his extremities and rotating his arms. Moore was taken to L.A. General County Hospital to be evaluated. Moore returned to Oregon for his senior season, forgoing the opportunity to be a high first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to try and lead the Ducks to a national title. Moore came into the season as a potential QB1 in the 2027 NFL Draft, and despite an early loss to Oklahoma State, Oregon still maintained hopes of a run to the College Football Playoff and a possible national title. With Moore carted off, transfer Dylan Raiola took over the Oregon offense in his place. Raiola started the last two seasons at Nebraska before transferring to Oregon this offseason. What Moore's injury means for OregonWhile we await official word on specifics of Moore's injury and how long he may be out, the Ducks will at minimum have to navigate a tough road environment against USC without their star quarterback. Many considered this game a potential College Football Playoff eliminator, with the loser facing an uphill battle to get back into the playoff picture, and the Ducks will need to adjust quickly while dealing with the emotions of seeing their leader get hurt in such a serious and scary manner. In the long term, Oregon has four conference games coming up, all in which they will be solidly favored. However, the UCLA game next week appears to be a much stiffer test than expected coming into the season. The next marquee game on the schedule after this tilt with USC is on Nov. 7 on the road at Ohio State, which figures to be another potential eliminator in the race for the Big Ten title game and College Football Playoff. If Moore is out for an extended period, one would expect their playoff hopes to be diminished. The defense in particular will need to improve dramatically after a slow start to the year and live up to the preseason hype where they were considered one of the best units in the country to help alleviate the pressure on Raiola's shoulders. That said, the talent on both sides of the ball remains strong, and few teams, if any, have a better backup quarterback on their roster than Raiola. A strong backup in Dylan Raiola Raiola started for two seasons at Nebraska, and while he was mercurial in his time with the Huskers, he is still a starting-caliber quarterback in the Big Ten, and his decision to transfer to Oregon knowing he'd likely spend a year backing up Moore before taking over in 2027 is now a huge boost for the Ducks in 2026. Raiola played in just nine games last season due to injury but completed 72.4% of his passes, throwing for 2,000 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. Turnovers have been a problem for Raiola in the past, but he cleaned up some of that in his sophomore season, and the Ducks will hope he's taken another leap as a game manager since transferring. The Oregon offense will need to adapt to his skill set, where he is not a particularly mobile quarterback but instead has a strong arm and can take the top off of the defense. He improved in his accuracy from his freshman to sophomore year, and for an Oregon offense predicated on staying ahead of the sticks, he will need to show continued growth as a passer and not just a talented thrower. Raiola stepped in after Moore's injury and finished off what was already a march into the red zone with a touchdown pass to Evan Stewart, building some early confidence as he takes over an Oregon team that will still have aspirations of playing into January.