Raiola throws for 289 yards and two touchdowns after Moore is hospitalized following an ejection-prompting hit as No. 20 Oregon scores the final 14 points to bury the Trojans in Los Angeles
Then the Ducks took out their frustration on USC.
Dylan Raiola came off the bench and threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns, guiding No. 20 Oregon past No. 12 Southern California 41-27 on Saturday night after quarterback Dante Moore was injured on a targeting hit that resulted in the ejection of USC linebacker Desman Stephens II.
The Ducks (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) responded to one of the game's most frightening moments by scoring a touchdown two plays later and eventually breaking open a 27-27 game with 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
Dakorien Moore caught the go-ahead touchdown from Raiola with 8:35 remaining, and Jordon Davison added a 2-yard touchdown run with 2:03 left to finish off USC.
But the victory was secondary for several frightening minutes in the second quarter.
DANTE MOORE INJURY CHANGES THE GAME
Oregon trailed 7-3 when Dante Moore scrambled into USC territory and began a slide.
Stephens made contact with Moore's head on the play. Officials called a penalty, and after video review Stephens was ejected for targeting. The game was delayed for roughly 15 minutes while medical personnel attended to Moore.
Moore was stabilized, placed on a stretcher and transported from the Coliseum by ambulance to a local hospital for further evaluation.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning said after the game that Moore had movement but did not provide additional medical details pending further evaluation.
The hit also triggered a confrontation between the teams before order was restored.
Oregon suddenly had to continue without its starting quarterback.
Raiola needed only two snaps to answer.
RAIOLA STEPS IN — AND DELIVERS
The Nebraska transfer entered and immediately connected with Evan Stewart for a 3-yard touchdown, turning a frightening sequence into an emotional response from the Ducks.
Oregon never trailed again.
“Seeing him like that shook the whole team,” Raiola said. “But at the same time, we knew that it was our brother, and we were gonna fight for him.”
Raiola completed 19 of 25 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns, providing Oregon with a steady hand despite entering under extraordinarily difficult circumstances.
Lanning said his backup was prepared when the opportunity arrived.
“Every guy on the sideline had faith in him,” Lanning said. “When his number got called, he was ready.”
That confidence became increasingly important as the game developed into a second-half shootout.
USC RALLIES, BUT OREGON KEEPS ANSWERING
Dierre Hill Jr. scored twice on the ground in the third quarter as Oregon twice built 10-point advantages.
USC refused to go away.
Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns, and USC erased Oregon's advantage when Tanook Hines caught a touchdown pass that tied the game 27-27 with 12:41 remaining.
The momentum appeared to be shifting toward the Trojans.
Raiola took it right back.
He found Dakorien Moore for a 29-yard touchdown with 8:35 remaining, pushing Oregon back in front 34-27.
USC then faced fourth-and-7 near midfield with 7:15 remaining. Maiava's pass fell incomplete, giving the Ducks an opportunity to deliver the knockout blow.
They did.
Oregon converted a fourth down on its ensuing possession before Davison powered into the end zone from 2 yards out, stretching the advantage to 41-27 with just over two minutes remaining.
The Trojans had gone from tying the game to trailing by two touchdowns.
DUCKS FINISH WHAT THEY STARTED
Koi Perich intercepted USC on its final offensive possession, providing the Ducks with the game's only forced turnover and ending any remaining hopes of a Trojans comeback.
Oregon also played the cleaner game statistically, finishing with five penalties for 50 yards.
Devon Jackson led the Ducks with 11 tackles, while Perich added seven tackles to go with his interception.
Offensively, Jamari Johnson returned after missing two games and caught seven passes for a team-high 119 yards.
Hill provided another dimension beyond his two rushing touchdowns, accumulating 105 receiving yards.
But the night belonged to Raiola and an Oregon team forced to respond after watching its starting quarterback leave the stadium for medical treatment.
The Ducks did exactly that.
OREGON TURNS EMOTION INTO STATEMENT ROAD WIN
The circumstances made the victory markedly different from an ordinary ranked road win.
Oregon lost its starting quarterback in the second quarter, turned to its backup and still generated 504 yards against the nation's No. 12 team.
Raiola directed four second-half touchdown drives. Hill scored twice. Dakorien Moore delivered the go-ahead touchdown. Davison supplied the clincher.
And after USC fought back to erase a 10-point deficit and tie the game, Oregon responded by scoring the final 14 points.
The Ducks now enter their bye week at 3-1 with momentum from a ranked Big Ten road victory — and with their attention also focused on Moore's recovery.
For one emotionally charged night in Los Angeles, Oregon absorbed its biggest blow, turned to the next man and finished the fight on the scoreboard.
======
-- By Bronwyn A. Stone and Michael R. Thomas
© Copyright 2026 JWT Communications. All rights reserved. This article cannot be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten, or distributed in any form without written permission.
No comments:
Post a Comment