Backup quarterback Dylan Raiola threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns to power No. 16 Oregon past No. 12 USC 41-27 on Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, after starter Dante Moore was carted off with an injury.

Raiola entered in the second quarter when Moore took a late hit to the head from USC defender Desman Stephens II. Moore was immobilised, taken off on a stretcher and transported to hospital, according to reports. The Nebraska transfer threw a touchdown pass on his first throw, and with the game tied 27-27 in the fourth quarter, led a nine-play, 75-yard drive capped by a 29-yard touchdown strike to Dakorien Moore.

Oregon finished with 504 yards of offence and a 41-27 road win, its fifth straight victory over USC. Former LSU defensive lineman Breiden Fehoko summed up the buzz online, posting: "Dylan Raiola > Dante Moore."

The win keeps Oregon's College Football Playoff hopes alive. With Moore's status still unknown, the Ducks' season may now rest on whether Raiola can turn one heroic night into a sustained run.