If you thought the video of USC linebacker Desman Stephens II’s malicious hit on Oregon QB Dante Moore was bad, wait until you hear at least one member of the USC radio broadcast team try to explain it away.
With just over ten minutes to go in the second quarter, Moore scrambled out of the pocket and took off downfield, picking up a considerable amount of yardage before sliding.
However, despite Moore obviously giving himself up on the play, Stephens launched himself at the head and neck area of the sliding quarterback and delivered a vicious hit that bounced Moore’s helmeted head off the field.
Moore was knocked unconscious and later diagnosed with a concussion.
After the hit, longtime USC radio play-by-play man Pete Arbogast launched into an explanation of the horrific scene that actually held Moore at fault for causing the incident.
“He did not try to slide feet first,” Arbogast said. “Stephens went in helmet-first, but he kind of ran into Dante Moore, who ducked into that hit.”
“I did not see him put his feet out first. I saw him dive forward.”
Arbogast summed up his thoughts by saying he believed Stephens had not targeted Moore.
The comments left Arbogast’s fellow broadcasters in obvious shock. Specifically, NFL veteran and former USC star Shaun Cody glanced at the camera with a look that suggested he completely disagreed with his co-host and that targeting was indeed the right call.
“WTF is Pete Abrogast looking at?” one commenter asked.
“Dude needs to issue a statement. Whether that’s before or after he’s fired is up to them,” wrote another.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning recently updated Moore’s condition.
“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,” Lanning said in his statement. “We are extremely appreciative of our entire medical staff and the medical staff at USC and LA County-USC General Hospital for their quick and thorough action in making sure Dante received the very best care possible.”