Southern California linebacker Desman Stephens II was ejected in the first half of the Trojans' loss to Oregon after he was flagged for targeting. The call came after he used his forearm to hit the head of Ducks quarterback Dante Moore, who was sliding at the time Stephens tackled him.
The Trojans' radio broadcast crew, however, appeared to disagree with the targeting call.
"I did not see him put his feet out first. I saw him dive forward," USC radio play-by-play broadcaster Pete Arbogast said. "... Here he goes down. Not a feet-first slide, more of a knee slide. It didn't look like targeting on the replay to us."
This USC radio broadcast footage
is just straight embarrassing. pic.twitter.com/cuVeZzRRP3
— Brenna Greene (@BrennaGreene_) September 29, 2026
Moore's injury occurred near the 10-minute mark of the second quarter at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on a quarterback keeper. As Moore began his slide, Stephens delivered a late hit to Moore, knocking his head backward onto the turf.
The Ducks quarterback was down for an extended period and was tended to by Oregon's medical staff before being stretchered off the field and loaded into an ambulance. Oregon announced on Sunday, Sept. 27 that Moore sustained a concussion but no further injuries.
NBC's broadcast caught Stephens smiling and high-fiving teammates on the sidelines as Oregon staff tended to Moore. USC announced on Sunday that Stephens would serve a one-game suspension for his actions.
In a statement provided by USC, Stephens apologized for his actions and took full responsibility for them.
"I want to sincerely apologize for my actions during yesterday's game," Stephens said in the statement. "Seeing a player injured like that is incredibly serious, and my reaction in the moments afterward was completely inappropriate and inexcusable. Regardless of what was going through my mind at the time, there is no justification for smiling or celebrating while another player receives medical attention.
"I take full responsibility for my actions. That is not the person or teammate I want to be, and I will learn from this."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USC radio call questions penalty on Dante Moore hit: 'Didn't look like targeting'
