Oregon coach Dan Lanning noticed that quarterback Dillon Gabriel was ready to shine when it mattered most.
Gabriel threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score late in the game, leading third-ranked Oregon to a narrow 32-31 victory over No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday night.
Gabriel, who moved to Oregon (6-0, 3-0) this season from Oklahoma, completed 23 of 34 passes for 341 yards and also rushed for 32 yards on four attempts.
“Every time I looked into his eyes tonight, I saw a guy who was calm and ready for what was next,” Lanning said. “He played really well tonight in some crucial moments.”
Jordan James added 115 rushing yards and a touchdown for the Ducks in front of a record crowd of 61,128 at Autzen Stadium, marking the first time two top-five teams faced each other there. This victory is the highest-ranked opponent Oregon has defeated in the regular season.
After the game, excited Oregon fans rushed the field, and the Ducks’ mascot celebrated by crowd-surfing. Lanning joked with reporters afterward, asking, “Anyone have a heart-rate monitor?”
Gabriel scored on a 27-yard run early in the fourth quarter, putting Oregon ahead 29-28. However, Ohio State (5-1, 2-1) responded with a long drive that ended in Jayden Fielding’s 40-yard field goal, making it 31-29 with six minutes left.
A pass-interference call allowed the Ducks to reach Ohio State’s 9-yard line, but they had to settle for a 19-yard field goal from Atticus Sappington, taking a 32-31 lead with 1:47 remaining.
Will Howard connected with Emeka Egbuka for a 26-yard pass, bringing Ohio State closer to field goal range. But an offensive pass-interference penalty pushed them back. On third-and-20 at the Oregon 38, Howard attempted to run but only gained 12 yards and slid down as time expired.
“I know how much time and effort everyone puts into this, from the coaches to the players and the support staff,” Gabriel said. “There’s joy in winning, and it’s great to see our team succeed.”
Howard threw for 336 yards and two touchdowns for Ohio State, while Jeremiah Smith had nine catches for 100 yards and a touchdown in what was the Buckeyes’ first real challenge this season.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day has a record of 1-7 against teams ranked in the top five. However, because of the expanded College Football Playoff, this loss might not hurt the Buckeyes’ chances for postseason play as much as it would have in past years.
“We could sit here and look at one play here, one play there or complain about a call, but we’re not going to do that. We’re going to own it,” Day said.
Howard scored a 1-yard touchdown on Ohio State’s first drive of the game. This was his fifth rushing touchdown of the season, which is the most by a Buckeye in five years.
Oregon took advantage when Derrick Harmon forced Quinshon Judkins to fumble and recovered the ball on the Ohio State 28-yard line. Jordan James ran it in from 3 yards out, but the Ducks messed up the snap on the extra point attempt.
Judkins later scored on a 1-yard run, and Evan Stewart caught a 10-yard touchdown pass to bring Oregon closer.
Oregon got another chance when Roger Saleapaga recovered a fumble from Caleb Downs. However, the Ducks were affected when senior receiver Traeshon Holden was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct after he spat on an Ohio State player.
The drive ended with a 27-yard field goal by Atticus Sappington.
Ohio State regained the lead with a 15-yard touchdown catch by Emeka Egbuka, but Oregon’s leading receiver Tez Johnson put the Ducks ahead 22-21 at halftime with a 48-yard touchdown catch from Dillon Gabriel.
In the third quarter, Smith caught a 6-yard touchdown pass to give Ohio State a 28-22 lead. He also had a 38-yard catch during that drive.
“It was a back and forth,” Lanning said. “When you play a really good team, you’re going to have to be able to battle in tight games like this, where decisions could go one way or another. We played aggressively tonight. We played to win the game, and our guys executed in critical moments.”
