No. 3 Oregon upsets No. 2 Ohio State in a back and forth “Heavyweight Fight”

Photo by Evan Luecke / fi360 News

EUGENE, OR – The Oregon Ducks hosted their first top five matchup in Autzen Stadium history where they defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 32-31 in what Dan Lanning described as “A heavy weight fight… [that] could go every round”.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel may have revitalized his Heisman campaign with a brilliant performance in which he went 23/34 for 341 yards and 3 total touchdowns. The Ducks offense has struggled with chemistry at times this season, but Gabriel’s timing with his receivers nearly perfect.

Photo by Evan Luecke / fi360 News

After a back and forth first quarter, momentum flipped for the Ducks in the second when they were trailing by 8 points at 14-6. Needing an answer to Ohio States scoring drive led by running back TreVon Henderson, Dillon Gabriel quickly connected with Evan Stewart on a 69-yard pass and found him again for an incredible 10-yard touchdown despite cornerback Denzel Burke grabbing his facemask.

Lanning brilliantly elected to take the penalty yards on the kickoff, where the Ducks successfully used the shorter distance to their advantage, recovering an onside kick after Atticus Sappington bounced a 10-yard line drive directly off an Ohio State defender. Sappington went on to give Oregon their first lead of the game at 15-14 with a 27-yard field goal.

The Ducks turned to Sappington once again late in the fourth quarter where he gave the Ducks their final lead of the game with a 19-yard field goal, leaving Will Howard 1:47 to march the Buckeyes into field goal range.

Photo by Evan Luecke / fi360 News

Howard moved the Buckeyes down to Oregon’s 38-yard line, and with six seconds remaining scrambled for 12 yards to the Oregon 26-yard line as time narrowly expired.

Dan Lanning and the Ducks have bigger goals than beating Ohio State, but Saturday’s win feel like a pivotal moment for the program. Lanning finally proved he can win the big game, and fittingly did so against Oregon’s former head coach and now offensive coordinator for the Buckeyes, Chip Kelly. After the game Dillon Gabriel said “We know this is just a step in the right direction and a big win… [but] the sun rises tomorrow and we gotta go earn it”.

Photo by Evan Luecke / fi360 News

The Ducks will travel to West Lafayette, IN next week to face Purdue at 5pm PST.