On Sunday afternoon, USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley announced that linebacker Desman Stephens II would be suspended for one game following his "dirty" hit that resulted in a targeting call and the brutal concussion to Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore in Saturday's game.
It wasn't just the hit that warranted the suspension, but the celebration of the illegal play afterward.
For ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, a one-game suspension is not close to enough punishment.
"Desman Stephens should be suspended for at least three games," Smith said on ESPN's "First Take"Monday morning. "One game is not enough. It should be far more severe than what ended up happening. Matter of fact, I think the conference should look into it. I think they should look into it and
say 'USC ain't severe enough. We gonna make the decision for you since you don't want to make it. Since you ain't tough enough to make that kind of call, sit his ass down because you can't have stuff like that happening.'”
.@finebaum, @stephenasmith and @danorlovsky7 speak on Desman Stephens II's one-game suspension after his hit on Oregon QB Dante Moore. pic.twitter.com/4KRl1m3IOd
— First Take (@FirstTake) September 28, 2026
While a lot has been made of the actual play, and whether or not it's fair to blame a defender for hitting a defenseless player after what some have argued was a late slide on the part of Dante Moore, it was the celebration after the hit that ruffled Smith's feathers the most.
While Moore lay on the ground for 12 minutes, surrounded by athletic trainers, and was eventually loaded onto a stretcher and into an ambulance, Stephens could be seen laughing on the sideline while dapping up players, and this came after he celebrated on the field and taunted the Oregon sideline in the immediate aftermath of the play.
Desman Stephens celebrating and taunting after sending Dante Moore to the hospital. pic.twitter.com/PVeTrSP4HU
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) September 27, 2026
"One of the things that's really getting on my nerves with some of these football players — these defensive football players — y’all act like y'all in a boxing ring or y'all in an octagon where somebody gets to square up on you straight up, and you got the better of them," Smith said. "No, he's a defenseless runner. He's sliding. He's not in a position to protect himself, and you're busy celebrating a clear headshot. He's on the field for several minutes at a time, had to be removed in an ambulance. And you're sitting up there celebrating. You didn't know what kind of condition Dante Moore was in. What the hell are you celebrating for? ... That, to me alone, warrants a more severe punishment because you had no regard for the rules or regulations. You clearly are of the mindset, ‘To hell with it. I don't give a damn what happened to him,’ even though it occurred with an illegal act on your part."
While it's unclear whether or not the Big Ten Conference will end up taking a look at the situation and instituting a further punishment for Stephens than the one-game suspension, Smith believes that this ultimately falls on Riley, who claimed after the game that he did not see any of the celebrations from Stephens following the play.
“And Lincoln Riley's talking about he didn't see him celebrating on the sideline. Well, damn it, you should have been in his face," Smith said. "You should have seen it because you should have been in his face, escorting him off the field, letting him know how egregious that was.”
The situation with Stephens will play out over the next few days in the media, and we will wait to see if the Big Ten takes further action, but for the time being, the sports world can at least take solace in the fact that Moore appears to be recovering well and did not sustain any injuries beyond a concussion.
On Monday afternoon, he even left Duck fans withan encouraging messageon his Instagram: "I'll be back soon."
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Stephen A. Smith wants 3-game suspension for USC player after Moore hit
