As the confetti rained down at Lucas Oil Stadium, Oregon’s Big Ten reign began.
128 days ago, Oregon officially joined the Big Ten Conference. It took Dan Lanning just over four months to win the nation’s oldest conference. The Oregon Ducks are Big Ten Champions.
“I don’t have a lot to say except for how proud I am of these guys,” Lanning said to open his presser.
In a game that featured 82 points, the Ducks never trailed.
Oregon wasted no time getting started. A nine-play, 84-yard touchdown drive was aided by a facemask penalty and highlighted by a 28-yard Kenyon Sadiq touchdown that featured a nasty hurdle. Oregon struck fast on Sadiq’s first touchdown of the season and took a quick 7-0, statement-making lead.
The Nittany Lions rapidly responded with a field goal-scoring drive. Nicholas Singleton broke off a 44-yard run to set Penn State up deep in Oregon territory.
The Ducks’ second drive was again aided by a facemask call, this time on 4th-and-1. The drive also ended with a Sadiq score, a beautiful ball from Gabriel again finding the open tight end.
But, Penn State had an answer. A crucial 3rd-and-15 conversion gave the Nittany Lions momentum and moved the ball across midfield. Three plays later, Singleton (105 yards on 10 attempts) crossed the goal line after hauling in a Drew Allar pass. The Nittany Lions went 75 yards in just over a minute during a first quarter that featured 24 points and 290 yards of offense.
Penn State gave the Ducks all they could handle, and then some. The Nittany Lions out-rushed Oregon 292-183, gained more 1st downs and were 7-13 on 3rd down and 2-2 on 4th down. The Ducks’ defense had trouble getting off the field at times, but Oregon’s offense had no problem finding the endzone.
“Give Oregon credit,” Penn State James Franklin said. “But more importantly, I’m proud of the guys in our locker room and how they competed tonight.”
The next drive Gabriel conducted also found a tight end in the endzone. Sadiq’s tight end teammate, Terrance Ferguson, went low for a four-yard reception on 3rd-and-goal to put Ducks back ahead by two scores.
“I love those guys,” Gabriel said about his tight ends. “They’re an extremely talented group. Very unselfish. All year, they’ve waited their time in terms of touchdowns. But, they were ready for their moment, each of them. I’m proud of them and they’re obviously guys that I think very highly of.”
Gabriel — the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year — came to play in Lucas Oil Stadium, fitting for his NFL aspirations. He threw for 283 yards and four touchdowns on 22/32 passing.
“I’m just smiling because we’re Big Ten Champs,” Gabriel said. “I’m smiling because we took advantage of the opportunity we had.”
Oregon finally got a stop early in the second quarter, but immediately followed it up with a 3-and-out of its own. The two teams seemed locked in a primetime tango, trading blows like highly-ranked teams should.
Finally, Penn State blinked. Allar (20/39 for 226, three touchdowns and two interceptions) badly underthrew his man deep in his own territory and Dontae Manning snagged an interception and returned it to the 1-yard line. One play later, Jordan James (87 yards and two touchdowns on 20 attempts) was in the endzone to put Oregon ahead 28-10.
Allar found a wide-open Omari Evans to get back in it, and the Nittany Lions’ defense forced a second 3-and-out. Penn State scored again with 1:53 on the clock to make it a four-point ballgame and seemed to have all the momentum in the world right before the half.
Atticus Sappington hit a 32-yard field goal in the closing seconds, but with Allar and the Penn State offense set to open the second half with the ball and Oregon unable to make key 3rd-down stops, disaster appeared to be on the horizon for the Ducks.
But still, Oregon led 31-24 at the break after the highest-scoring first half in Big Ten Championship Game history, breaking the record set in 2012 (52 points).
“I think our guys do an incredible job of understanding the reset button,” Lanning said. “The next play’s the most important play. As emotional as the game of football is, they do an unbelievable job of knowing that the job’s not done until the job’s done.”
Penn State opened the second half with a successful ground attack. The Nittany Lions utilized 35 rushing yards — almost all of which came on chunk plays — to set up a 40-yard field goal attempt, but Ryan Barker’s kick sailed wide right.
Five players later, Oregon was in the endzone. Tez Johnson was left uncovered in the middle of the field, and Gabriel hit him for a 48-yard touchdown. Johnson earned Big Ten Championship Game MVP honors with his 11 receptions for 181 yards and the long touchdown. Johnson averaged 16.5 yards per catch on Saturday.
With Johnson’s touchdown, Oregon retook a 14-point lead and temporarily stifled the momentum.
Penn State was held scoreless in the third quarter, but scored on the second play of the final frame. The two-point attempt failed, but the Nittany Lions were within one.
“The strategy was about winning the game in regulation,” Franklin said. “We wanted to be aggressive.”
Then came perhaps the biggest drive of the night. James finished off a 12-play, 75-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run. Oregon converted two key 3rd downs and a massive 4th down to Ferguson. Not only did the sequence give the Ducks a two-score lead, but it took 6:50 off the clock.
Penn State scored late on an incredible 4th-down pass from a pressured Allar, and the Nittany Lions got the ball back with just over two minutes remaining, trailing by eight.
Then, Nikko Reed called game.
Allar threw an interception — his second of the night — down the sideline. Reed made an incredible, diving catch to reel it in. One 1st down later, Oregon was in victory formation.
“I’ve got to do a better job of ‘him or nobody’,” Allar said.
“Give that kid [Reed] credit,” Franklin added. “He made a hell of a play.”
Oregon finished a perfect conference season and is set to be the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.
The confetti, still meandering its way down from the rafters as the team left the field, glitters golden — perhaps a symbol of the new gold standard the Ducks set on a December night in Indianapolis.
