No. 3 Oregon’s win over No. 2 Ohio State was the biggest win in Oregon regular-season history. The result will be talked about for years to come, but what will people discuss besides the score? Here are three takeaways from Oregon’s historic 32-31 victory over the Buckeyes.
- Gabriel can elevate this team
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel’s two-interception performance against Michigan State had some fans questioning the sixth-year senior’s ability to elevate his teammates. Question no more. Gabriel looked like a championship-caliber quarterback in what was likely the biggest game of his lengthy 55-game college career to date.
Presented with statistically the best defense in the country, Gabriel went 23/34 for 341 yards and two touchdowns through the air. His PFF Pass and offense grades of 87.6 and 85.7 respectively were his best since he dominated Oregon State in Corvallis and were each 10 points better than any opposing quarterback had mustered against the Buckeyes this season.
Gabriel was at his most effective throwing deep, as evidenced by Evan Stewart’s 69-yard reception and Tez Johnson’s 48-yard score. His NFL QBR on 20+ yard throws between the numbers was a perfect 158.3, and he went 8/8 for 179 yards and two touchdowns when targeting critically acclaimed Buckeyes cornerback Denzel Burke.
Gabriel was also incredibly poised and mobile in the pocket. He faced a career-high 14 pressures but was never sacked. Instead, he used his speed to extend plays and find open targets in the flats. He also scored a 27-yard rushing touchdown. Bottom line? Gabriel looked like the kind of quarterback that can win this Ducks team a national title.
- The pass defense needs to improve
Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (28/35, 326 yards, two touchdowns) was able to consistently connect with star wideouts Jeremiah Smith (nine catches, 100 yards, one touchdown) and Emeka Egbuka (10 catches, 93 yards, one touchdown). Although Oregon’s defense had to focus plenty of its attention on stopping Ohio State’s dominant run game, the team’s inability to stop Howard downfield was cause for some concern.
Starting nickelback Brandon Johnson had a particularly rough night, allowing a reception on each of his 11 targets for 82 yards and a touchdown. With four minutes remaining in the first half, Johnson moved away from Egbuka in the defensive slot and mimicked a possible blitz. Egbuka ran a wheel route directly into the zone Johnson vacated for a 15-yard touchdown that put the Buckeyes ahead 21-15.
Howard tallied an 81.7 PFF Pass grade — his best of the season — in Saturday’s losing effort. Oregon’s defense has largely been outstanding, but will need to stop their remaining opposition from passing so freely if the Ducks want to keep winning come playoff time.
- Stewart is worth the hype
After struggling to make a consistent impact through Oregon’s first five games of football, wideout Evan Stewart played his best when the Ducks needed him the most. Ohio State’s defense entered Saturday’s contest allowing 6.8 points-per-game and less than 130 passing yards per game. They hadn’t allowed a 30-yard completion all year.
Stewart eclipsed all three of those totals on his own, finishing with seven catches for 149 yards (both season highs) and a touchdown.
Interestingly, this game also saw Stewart’s season-high in snaps from the slot (10). It seems as though mixing up (as well as simply increasing) Stewart’s involvement may unlock continued production from the newly-unleashed wideout. If it worked on Denzel Burke, Caleb Downs and the rest of Ohio State’s top-rated defense, don’t fix it.
