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College Football

3 takeaways from No. 3 Oregon’s thrilling victory over No. 2 Ohio State

Derek Peterson

By Derek Peterson

Published:

Oregon welcomed the very best the Big Ten had to offer to Autzen Stadium for a top-3 showdown on Saturday night.

And then sent them back home with their first loss of the season.

Behind a record crowd, a brilliant game from Dillon Gabriel, and a last-second hold from the defense, the Ducks formally introduced themselves as the team to beat in the Big Ten this season. The Ducks kicked a field goal with 1:47 remaining to go on top, then held off a late drive from Ohio State to win 32-31 and move to 6-0 on the season.

Here are 3 takeaways from the game.

Gabriel delivers

On a fourth-and-goal with 3:41 to play in the third quarter, Gabriel came off Tez Johnson too early and missed an easy pitch-and-catch for what would have been a go-ahead touchdown. He tried to hit Patrick Herbert over the middle, but Herbert was well-covered and Gabriel’s pass fell harmlessly to the deck, killing off a 13-play, 73-yard drive without points at the Ohio State 2.

That was the only consequential mistake I tracked from Gabriel throughout the game.

Gabriel ripped a 27-yard touchdown run on a third-and-2 in the fourth quarter. He completed 23 of his 34 passes for 341 yards and 2 touchdowns. He did not turn the football over.

Ohio State didn’t pressure Gabriel much, instead dropping into coverage and asking the super-senior quarterback to consistently make the right throw. After red zone interceptions in each of Oregon’s last 2 games, maybe the Buckeyes were playing percentages and hoping that, in an otherwise tight ball game, 1 or 2 mistakes from Gabriel would be enough to escape Autzen with a win.

Gabriel didn’t make any. He hit 7 chunk plays in the pass game, including a 48-yard touchdown to Johnson and a 69-yard bomb to Evan Stewart that led to another score.

Ducks finally catch a break

In close games, sometimes you just need the ball to bounce your way a couple of times. Coaches say it and it’s more colloquial than anything. You need a couple of breaks. Late, that manifested itself as a pass interference call.

Ohio State freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith was flagged for offensive pass interference in the final minute of the game. It negated a reception that would have put Ohio State inside the 25-yard-line, and backed the Buckeyes out of field goal range.

In real time, it seemed like the pendulum swinging back the other direction. In the first quarter, Ohio State threw an interception that was ruled a completion and then not reviewed. Ohio State snapped the ball before replay could buzz the on-field crew and Ohio State went on to score. In the second half, Tez Johnson was called for illegally being downfield when he was standing on the sideline. Oregon caught a couple bad breaks.

Then the ball bounced its way.

The OPI call on Smith backed the Buckeyes up from the Oregon 21 to the 43.

On third-and-20 from the Oregon 38, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard took off to try to get into field goal range with his legs, but didn’t get down before the clock ran out. He sat on the ground in disbelief as Oregon’s sideline erupted and raced out onto the field to celebrate the victory.

Evan Stewart finally breaks through

Early in the second quarter, Oregon receiver Traeshon Holden was ejected for spitting on an Ohio State player. The Ducks were already without Gary Bryant Jr. and Kyler Kasper, so the loss of Holden meant Oregon would spend the bulk of the game without 3 of the 5 guys who would otherwise top the receiver rotation.

Tez Johnson would need help.

Stewart, the offseason transfer from Texas A&M, finally had the moment so many had been waiting for.

Stewart entered Saturday’s game with just 16 catches for 182 yards and 2 scores in his first 5 appearances for the Ducks. Against the Buckeyes, he brought in 7 catches on 8 targets for 149 yards and a touchdown. He was the game’s leading receiver. And he was the Ducks’ big-play man.

Stewart had a 28-yard grab in the first quarter. He caught a 69-yarder against an Ohio State corner in Denzel Burke who many consider to be an NFL talent, and then scored a touchdown to cap the drive.

He made a 17-yard grab on third down in the third quarter, then drew a pass interference penalty late in the fourth quarter on Oregon’s game-winning drive.

Stewart was the best player on the field.

Bonus: Oregon now finds itself in the driver’s seat

Oregon now owns a head-to-head win over Ohio State. USC is 1-3 in Big Ten play. Michigan is a nonfactor in the league’s title race. Aside from Oregon, there are only 2 remaining unbeaten teams in Big Ten play after Week 7, and Oregon won’t face either of them in the regular season. The Ducks very much control their destiny in the Big Ten, which means they control their destiny in the hunt for 1 of those 4 first-round byes in the College Football Playoff.

Derek Peterson

Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.