USC’s Desman Stephens was ejected for a targeting hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, who was taken to hospital for evaluation; the Ducks had not announced the full extent of his injury. NBC analyst Nicole Auerbach said the Big Ten could consider further discipline.
Auerbach raised possible action under the Big Ten’s sportsmanship policy. Under the NCAA’s 2026 targeting rules, a first disqualification brings an ejection but does not automatically bar a player from the following game; later offenses carry escalating suspensions. Stephens had no prior targeting disqualification this season, so his ejection alone would not automatically rule him out of USC’s next contest.
Moore displayed a fencing response after the collision before being carted away. Stephens was seen celebrating and being embraced by teammates while Moore was receiving medical attention. NBC analyst Chris Simms said Moore appeared to slide late, but Stephens still had to account for the emphasis on protecting quarterbacks; Simms called the celebration and congratulations a bad look for USC.
