LOS ANGELES — Dylan Raiola passed for 289 yards and two touchdowns after star Oregon quarterback Dante Moore’s frightening injury, leading the 20th-ranked Ducks to a stirring 41-27 victory over No. 12 Southern California on Saturday night.
Moore left the Coliseum field in an ambulance in the second quarter after USC linebacker Desman Stephens hit him late on a slide. Stephens was ejected for targeting, and the game was delayed for 15 minutes while Moore — a Heisman Trophy candidate and likely high NFL draft pick — received medical attention.
Raiola, the two-year Nebraska starter who transferred to Oregon last January, threw a 3-yard TD pass to Evan Stewart on his second snap. He then led the Ducks to 270 yards and four touchdown drives in the second half, including Dakorien Moore’s go-ahead, 29-yard TD catch with 8:35 to play and Jordon Davison’s clinching 2-yard run with 2:03 left.
Dierre Hill Jr. rushed for two touchdowns after halftime for Oregon (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten), which generated 504 total yards in a strong Big Ten opener. Oregon had a rocky start to the season in which it barely beat Boise State and then lost to lowly Oklahoma State to plummet from a preseason No. 2 ranking.
Jayden Maiava passed for 326 yards and two scores for the Trojans (4-1, 1-1), who came up short yet again in a big game under coach Lincoln Riley because the Trojans’ defense did precious little to slow down either Oregon quarterback.
USC rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half and tied it on Tanook Hines’ TD catch with 12:41 to play, but Raiola led the Ducks right back for Dakorien Moore’s TD. Oregon’s defense then stopped the Trojans on downs at midfield with three straight incompletions.
The Trojans have lost five straight to their former Pac-12 rivals, last beating the Ducks in 2016.
The takeaway
Oregon: This will be a memorable victory after a rough three-week start, yet Moore’s health will be paramount for the Ducks. Raiola is more than capable of leading a winner, but Moore is a unique talent. The Ducks still haven’t lost two games in September since 2016, and they’ve never lost a Big Ten road game.
USC: This was yet another brutal defeat on a big stage for Riley’s Trojans, who hadn’t lost at the Coliseum since 2024. The coach still can’t find a breakthrough victory nearly halfway through his fifth season in charge despite a wealth of talent. USC’s defensive problems under Riley and his third coordinator, Gary Patterson, are just as unsightly as they were back in 2022.
