USC suspended linebacker Desman Stephens II after an illegal hit hospitalized Oregon quarterback Dante Moore on Saturday night. Moore ran for a first down and slid to stop the play, yet Stephens still struck him in the upper body and neck and drove him into the turf.

Lincoln Riley said the conduct does not match USC football or Stephens himself, that Stephens knows he erred and accepts the penalty, and that the program wants Moore well. Stephens said he is sorry, owns the play, and hopes Moore heals soon, adding that the hit does not show who he is or what the program represents.

Oregon diagnosed Moore with a concussion that night, put him in protocol, and reported no other injuries.