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OT: Dante Moore / Desman Stephens - Printable Version

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OT: Dante Moore / Desman Stephens - cardcrimson - 09-26-2026

Dante Moore slid after a big gain and U$C's Desman Stephens hits Moore in the head, helmet to helmet. Moore laid motionless on the ground for 8 minutes and was taken off in an ambulance. Below is the hit and Stephens' celebration while Moore is lying on the ground. Despicable, even for a Condom. Fortunately, Moore has movement in all his extremities, though remains in the hospital.

https://x.com/BrickCenter_/status/2104005041732624538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2104005041732624538%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=

https://x.com/CamMellor/status/2104005338555195481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2104005338555195481%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=

RE: OT: Dante Moore / Desmond Stephens - newguy - 09-26-2026

not surprised it was a Trojan that pulled that stunt.

RE: OT: Dante Moore / Desmond Stephens - Hurlburt88 - 09-27-2026

This is yet another piece of "artisanal evidence" for why we need major rules changes in football.   I sincerely hope that there is a multi-game suspension here, although I doubt it

RE: OT: Dante Moore / Desmond Stephens - HalloHaleakala - 09-27-2026

I'm not sure what the more despicable entity is: The University of Scandal and Corruption, or the Baltimore Ravens.

Hoping the best for Moore. Goodness, that was terrifying to watch.

RE: OT: Dante Moore / Desmond Stephens - Goose - 09-27-2026

(10 hours ago)Hurlburt88 Wrote:  This is yet another piece of "artisanal evidence" for why we need major rules changes in football.   I sincerely hope that there is a multi-game suspension here, although I doubt it
IMO football rules can't fix this problem. USC has been "a dirty program" for many years. The incident with USC players intentionally stepping on their opponents when getting up after a tackle is one that received lots of TV coverage. The problem is that USC doesn't care. Lincoln Riley is trying to spin this latest dirty hit as equivalent to jumping offside or pass interference. It isn't. When asked why Stephens was still on the sidelines after being ejected, Riley replied "Because he is a member of our team". The only way this kind of stuff stops would be if Riley had immediately rectified Stephen's status to "no longer a member of our team".
 
Institutional control is the only force that can enforce discipline. USC has repeatedly demonstrated they have none. In today's world, where "college" football is all about money, the academic institutions themselves are the only force that can restrain arbitrarily bad behavior. USC almost certainly will not do so. Hopefully others will, but I tend to doubt it.

RE: OT: Dante Moore / Desman Stephens - dabigv13 - 09-27-2026

QB slide rule is silly and sets up these sorts of hits. The Trojan was a classless jerk after the hit, probably could have adjusted to avoid it, but if QBs don't try this slide they will be much less likely to take a hit to the head, and they can initiate that slide any time they want. 

Maybe in the era where most QBs were pocket passers and few ran often, this sort of rule made sense to protect the klutz QBs.

Now, so many QBs are strong athletes carrying the ball on designed runs. If WRs and RBs can't slide anytime they like to avoid a hit, why should QB's get to do so?

RE: OT: Dante Moore / Desmond Stephens - JohnR34231 - 09-27-2026

(6 hours ago)Goose Wrote:  
(10 hours ago)Hurlburt88 Wrote:  This is yet another piece of "artisanal evidence" for why we need major rules changes in football.   I sincerely hope that there is a multi-game suspension here, although I doubt it
IMO football rules can't fix this problem. USC has been "a dirty program" for many years. The incident with USC players intentionally stepping on their opponents when getting up after a tackle is one that received lots of TV coverage. The problem is that USC doesn't care. Lincoln Riley is trying to spin this latest dirty hit as equivalent to jumping offside or pass interference. It isn't. When asked why Stephens was still on the sidelines after being ejected, Riley replied "Because he is a member of our team". The only way this kind of stuff stops would be if Riley had immediately rectified Stephen's status to "no longer a member of our team".
 
Institutional control is the only force that can enforce discipline. USC has repeatedly demonstrated they have none. In today's world, where "college" football is all about money, the academic institutions themselves are the only force that can restrain arbitrarily bad behavior. USC almost certainly will not do so. Hopefully others will, but I tend to doubt it.

My father was a coach at Washington in the late '40's and early '50's. He told me U$C players would intentionally try to injure his players. Things haven't changed that much in the last 75 years.

RE: OT: Dante Moore / Desman Stephens - BostonCard - 09-27-2026

No injury on this one, but way down on the classless list, and a well-earned 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for “simulating urination” that totally negated the sack:

https://x.com/espncfb/status/2103901322030231657?s=61

Dabigv… I think it would have been one thing if he had merely injured Moore, in that case your argument that the QB was a fair target makes sense; it’s the superposition of the Oregon player laying motionless on the ground and Stephens celebrating (also, it was after Moore got a big gain); you know it’s bad when fellow Trojan’s are like “Dude, take it down a notch.”

BC

RE: OT: Dante Moore / Desman Stephens - 82lsju - 09-27-2026

looks like USC is trying to get ahead of a big suspension by suspending Stephens for one game

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/50043971/usc-suspends-lb-stephens-one-game-hit-oregon-qb-moore

RE: OT: Dante Moore / Desman Stephens - Goose - 09-27-2026

(4 hours ago)dabigv13 Wrote:  QB slide rule is silly and sets up these sorts of hits. The Trojan was a classless jerk after the hit, probably could have adjusted to avoid it, but if QBs don't try this slide they will be much less likely to take a hit to the head, and they can initiate that slide any time they want. 

Maybe in the era where most QBs were pocket passers and few ran often, this sort of rule made sense to protect the klutz QBs.

Now, so many QBs are strong athletes carrying the ball on designed runs. If WRs and RBs can't slide anytime they like to avoid a hit, why should QB's get to do so?
ANY ballcarrier, including WRs and RBs (TEs too) can slide feet-first and end the play. The ball becomes dead and the play ends when any part of their body besides feet or hands touches the ground. Of course, QBs are so valuable to the team that in many cases they are instructed to slide and not take a big hit under "ordinary" conditions. OTOH QBs often take a big hit attempting to get critical first downs/TDs. 
 
It must be noted that unnecessary roughness can be called on plays where the runner did not "give themselves up". Similarly, targeting can be called on plays that do not involve a slide. The USC player was called for unnecessary roughness and targeting both, at least as far as I can tell. Targeting for certain. Unnecessary roughness is always going to be a judgement call. In some cases I disagree with the official's judgement. This case was not one of them. It was an egregious violation of both the letter and the spirit of the rules. One of the purposes of the feet-first slide is allowing the defensive player to avoid hitting the runner's head and upper body. The feet-first slide should make it LESS likely there would be helmet to helmet contact, not more likely. The USC player had plenty of time to avoid such contact by even a slight change of direction. He instead initiated an obviously avoidable forearm to the head of the QB. That was in addition to the helmet-to-helmet contact. This was in no way a corner case.

RE: OT: Dante Moore / Desman Stephens - dabigv13 - 09-27-2026

Thanks for the correction Goose, not sure how I didn't know that.

RE: OT: Dante Moore / Desman Stephens - Goose - 09-27-2026

As a follow-up, Stephens has been suspended for 1 game. It is less than a slap on the wrist. The following quote:
Quote: "Desman's actions in last night's game are unacceptable and are not reflective of USC football nor of his personal character," USC coach Lincoln Riley said in a statement. "He understands his mistake, accepts the consequences of his actions and will learn from this. The entire Trojan Family wishes Dante a full recovery, and we send our best regards to him and his family."
Coach Riley is wrong about two things. It most definitely reflective of USC football. It is undeniably reflective of Desman Stephens character. I really object to characterizing such actions as "mistakes". Mistakes are something that happens because you fail to understand the situation correctly, make a wrong decision and in full good faith do the wrong thing. Making an illegal hit that could seriously injure another player is simply never an option. No "decision" or "understanding" is required to know such actions are always inadmissible. Period. The fact Mr. Stephens doesn't posses an innate barrier to such actions is indeed a serious character flaw IMO.
 
What I think Mr. Stephens actually learned is that he can do whatever he wants and the worst thing that will happen is he will be suspended for a game. He will still be accepted and embraced as a true member of the "Trojan Family" as if it never happened. I think Mr. Riley taught him that lesson by failing to simply expel him from the team, the "Trojan Family". Mr. Riley will tolerate players that can make that kind of "mistake".  That makes me also question Mr. Riley's character.