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Joel Klatt describes Oregon as ‘fashionably late’ to elite status this season
By Sean Labar
Published:
Joel Klatt has emerged as one of the leading voices in college football media in recent years, and the FOX analyst believes the Oregon Ducks have finally proven they should be considered as one of the elite teams for 2024.
The No. 6 Ducks are heading into their bye week after their best performance of the season on Saturday, knocking off Oregon State on the road with a dominating 49-14 win. The win marked Oregon’s first victory at Reser Stadium since 2018 and the Ducks played great on both sides of the ball.
“Welcome Oregon to the party everybody, they’re here, Dan Lanning, welcome,” Klatt said. “A little bit late, fashionably some would say, but finally, welcome to the party of elite stature of college football.”
"That was dominant. That's what we expected to see out of Oregon." 🙌
The Ducks corrected the drift, and they were dominant in week 3. @joelklatt is here to share that Oregon is back 🦆 pic.twitter.com/YbLVKblrxP
— The Joel Klatt Show: A CFB Pod (@JoelKlattShow) September 17, 2024
Oregon has a 3-0 record so far this season, but the Ducks struggled against far less-talented opponents in their first 2 games of the new season. In Week 1, they let Idaho hang around and ultimately pulled off the 24-14 victory. In Week 2, Boise State traded blows with Oregon from start to finish but the Ducks pulled off a close 3-point win with a 37-34 final score.
Klatt focused on a few factors for Oregon now jumping into the top-tier of college football teams, but most notably, he shouted out the play of transfer QB Dillon Gabriel, who thrived for the Ducks in the win over Oregon State.
Gabriel finished the win 20-of-24 passing for 291 yards and 2 touchdowns, while adding another 64 yards and a touchdown on 4 carries as a runner.
“Dillon Gabriel against Oregon State was phenomenal” Klatt continued. “This is the quarterback that they all dreamed of. That they all thought they had, that they celebrated that they got in the offseason when he transferred to Oregon. He was incredible as far as his efficiency and accuracy down the field.”
Klatt also pointed out that Oregon’s defense was solid against Oregon State, limiting the Beavers to just 4.6 yards per play and 7-of-15 on third down.
It’s clear the FOX analyst believes Lansing’s Ducks took a massive leap over the weekend. It will be interesting to see if they can keep the momentum rolling when games get tougher with conference opponents ahead.