The No. 12 USC Trojans fell 41-27 to the No. 20 Oregon Ducks on Saturday night. However, things got ugly early in the contest after Desman Stephens delivered a dirty hit on Dante Moore. Things took a turn after Stephens taunted and celebrated the dirty play, and even smiled and dapped up several of his teammates while Moore was being taken off the field via an ambulance.
Lincoln Riley was asked about Stephens' actions after the dirty hit during his postgame press conference. Somehow, the 43-year-old head coach didn't see any of the celebrations from Stephens or other USC players on the sideline. Therefore, he didn't have much to say about the subject at all.
“I did not see it, no,” Riley said when asked if he saw Stephens' celebrations after the dirty hit.
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Officials removed Desman Stephens from the game soon after the dust settled. However, the junior linebacker did return to the sideline in street clothes. Riley was also asked why Stephens returned to the sideline, and he simply stated, “Because he's on our football team,” while having a deer-in-the-headlights look on his face.
Stephens has been with USC since 2024, and emerged as a starter by 2025. His actions may lead the Big Ten Conference to step in and announce some kind of punishment for Desman Stephens. A punishment is not a guarantee and would likely take several days before a decsion was announced.
As for Dante Moore, the Oregon Ducks quarterback was diagnosed with a concussion. It's said he is not dealing with any other injuries, and is expected to make a full recovery and return to the field once he passes concussion protocol.