Dante Moore injury: Oregon QB takes scary hit to head, carted off field, put in ambulance

Dante Moore injury: Oregon QB takes scary hit to head, carted off field, put in ambulance.

Key points

• Last season, Raiola completed 181-of-250 passes for 2, 000 yards and 18 touchdowns.
• The play happened with just over 10 minutes in the second quarter inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
• LOS ANGELES – Dante Moore suffered a serious injury against Southern California on Saturday.
• Moore had thrown for 849 yards with nine touchdowns in three games this season entering the game against USC.
• The former Nebraska quarterback transferred to Oregon in the offseason, knowing he would be the backup to Moore.

Meanwhile, the play happened with just over 10 minutes in the second quarter inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Moore scrambled on a play and when he took a slide, USC defender Desman Stephen II hit him late with a forearm to Moore's head. It hit the grass hard. A flag was thrown and Moore was not immediately moving but his body was twitching as the Oregon backing staff rushed to attend to him.

Oregon players immediately obtained in the faces of USC defenders and a near brawl broke out as the office-holders and coaches tried to break it up. A targeting penalty was called on Stephen and offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct flags were assessed to both teams for the scuffle after the moment.

Dante Moore injury reaction: 'One of the dirtiest hits you'll ever see'.

Moore stayed on the ground for an extended period of time and didn't appear to be moving. The Oregon team huddled together while Moore was attended to, and USC quarterback Jayden Maiava came over to check on him.

After minutes of being down, Moore was put onto a stretcher and when he did, the entire Oregon team rushed to him to check on their star player. After he was taken off the field, Moore was put inside a waiting ambulance. Per the TV broadcast, Moore was seen moving his fingers as he was carted off the field. Dante Moore injury update: Oregon QB taken to hospital.

In practice, the NBC broadcast documented Moore was moving his hands, feet and rotated his arms while on the cart. He was taken to Los Angeles General Hospital to be evaluated.

It's a devastating injury for Oregon as Moore is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. He could have been a top five pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but decided to stay for the chance to lead the Ducks to their first national championship on a highly talented roster.

Meanwhile, the UCLA transfer became the full-time starter in 2025 and led the Ducks to the College Football Playoff semifinal, throwing for 3, 565 yards with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in the 13-2 campaign. Moore had thrown for 849 yards with nine touchdowns in three games this season entering the game against USC. Moore was 8-for-10 with 77 yards prior to the injury. Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola is Oregon backup QB. Notably, the new Oregon quarterback is a familiar face: Dylan Raiola.

Notably, the former Nebraska quarterback transferred to Oregon in the offseason, knowing he would be the backup to Moore. He played two seasons with the Cornhuskers, starting 22 games for the offseason. His 2025 campaign concluded early after he suffered a season-ending injury against USC on Nov. 1, 2025.

Last season, Raiola completed 181-of-250 passes for 2, 000 yards and 18 touchdowns. His 72.4% completion percentage was fourth-best in FBS. SMS Facebook Twitter Email. Share your feedback to support improve our site! Share your feedback to support improve our site!

In short, dante Moore injury: Oregon QB takes scary hit to head, carted off is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.