USC linebacker Desman Stephens II suspended one game after targeting hit on Oregon QB Dante Moore

USC suspended linebacker Desman Stephens II for one game following his conduct during Saturday's matchup against Oregon, per CBS Sports. Stephens will miss USC's October 3 game against Washington. The suspension stemmed from a targeting hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore early in the second quarter. Oregon coach Dan Lanning announced on Sunday that Moore has been diagnosed with a concussion, but his MRI and CT scans came back clean and he did not suffer any additional injuries. Lanning stated: "Every concussion is different, and we are going to move forward with an abundance of caution to ensure we make the best decisions for Dante and his future." Moore is expected to return to the field at some point this season, per Lanning. What amplified the severity of the moment was Stephens' reaction immediately after the hit. Stephens apologized for his conduct in a statement released Sunday, calling his reaction "completely inappropriate and inexcusable" and specifically acknowledging that he smiled or celebrated while another player received medical attention. He stated: "I take full responsibility for my actions. That is not the person or teammate I want to be, and I will learn from this." Stephens also apologized to Moore, his family, and those who saw his reaction, expressing hope for Moore's full and speedy recovery. USC coach Lincoln Riley called Stephens' actions "unacceptable" and said they did not reflect the program or Stephens' character. Riley said in his statement: "He understands his mistake, accepts the consequences of his actions and will learn from this. The entire Trojan Family wishes Dante a full recovery, and we send our best regards to him and his family." However, Riley said after the game that he did not see his linebacker celebrating the hit with teammates. Riley also stated immediately after the game: "First of all, I want to say that I hope Dante is ok. You never want to see that out of any opponent. No matter how competitive the game gets. These are all people at the end of the day on both sides. So we wish him a speedy recovery." Oregon coach Dan Lanning called the late hit "disgusting" and said there's no room for decisions like that in college football. Lanning stated: "It's a disgusting play. We don't want to see it happen. It's disappointing that it happened. I'm praying that our player's healthy, and I'm praying that their player can learn from that situation." He added: "There's a reason targeting exists in football, and it's as clear as day targeting. It's a shame that that happened to a good player when, in my mind, that certainly could have been avoided." Several Oregon players called the hit "dirty" and felt Stephens did it on purpose, though Stephens was not made available for comment after the game and set his Instagram account to private following dozens of negative comments on his posts pertaining to the hit. As of Sunday morning, his X account remains public. A Big Ten spokesperson told CBS Sports: "We have been in contact with USC today and support the decision." The Big Ten has not made an official statement on the hit and has not announced whether it will take separate action. College football altered its punishment for targeting penalties this season: if a player is flagged in the third quarter, the suspension for the first half of the following game has been eliminated. If the same player gets a second targeting foul this season, he misses the first half of the next game. A third targeting foul results in disqualification from that game and the entirety of the next game. Since Stephens' foul occurred during the second quarter, he is eligible to play in the first half of USC's next game against Washington unless the conference suspends him independently.