Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel had a lot to say following the Ducks' hard-fought victory over Boise State, acknowledging the team’s ups and downs while celebrating their ability to respond in crucial moments.
“That’s a big moment for this,” Gabriel said. “I mean, we try to shoot ourselves in the foot as much as we could. There’s a lot for sure to clean up. But you talk about responding to adversity and seeing guys come together within a game, you know, the emotional rollercoaster some may be on. I just love how we stayed consistent, and I love the guys and how they played.”
Oregon's offense showed flashes of brilliance, but penalties and miscues kept them from playing a perfect game. Gabriel pointed out the team's ability to rally despite the struggles, particularly in a key drive that led to a late field goal.
“As a team that's finding our identity together, you see a bunch of guys, you know, being more and more connected as the weeks go on through practice, through games," Gabriel explained. "You go through adversity like that, and then you find a way to win through a drive that takes a lot of time off the clock, and you finish it with the field goal. I think that’s great clock management. But more importantly, I’m proud of the guys up front. I love the mentality they had in the run game."
Gabriel admitted there were several areas the Ducks could improve on. He pointed to negative plays, pre-snap penalties, and sacks as factors that put them behind the chains, stating, “That’s me included—taking sacks when I shouldn’t, taking negative plays which puts us behind the chains. But those are things we can clean up, and we’ll look at how good we can be.”
The Ducks' quarterback was also asked about a specific 59-yard touchdown pass to Traeshon Holden, where Gabriel explained his pre-snap read. “They got us early with that zero coverage and had dropouts on that too, but we were in a formation that helped us get into that call. The in-helmet communication was great. It’s good to have that in our arsenal week to week.”
Despite the positives, some recurring issues from previous games surfaced, including offensive line penalties and sacks. “You’re insane if you keep doing the same stuff,” Gabriel said, with a momentary slip in his language. “We cleaned up certain things, but there’s still a lot more to work on. If we play our cleanest game, that could be the difference in 10 to 15 plays where we take advantage and score touchdowns.”
When asked about the challenge of dealing with multiple lineup changes on the offensive line, Gabriel acknowledged that it had been tough but pointed to the team’s preparation as a strength. “I think we help ourselves out from January, doing a lot of mixed groups and playing with different lineups. We’re trying to find our identity as a unit, and that comes with its learning curve.”
Gabriel also reflected on the importance of fan support during tough moments, saying, “I can’t speak enough about Oregon fans. You get Autzen [Stadium] at night, and you just see the fan environment. As a player who’s been at three different schools, I notice that, and I feel that. I think it helps us as players.”
But ultimately, it was the Ducks' ability to stay focused on themselves that carried them through, even when the crowd grew restless. “You know, we dug our own hole, and we had to get ourselves out of it. You look at those two special teams plays—Tez and Noah, two guys that are extremely explosive. When they’re on the field at the same time for us, you see how good they are with the ball in their hands.”
Gabriel summed up the team’s outlook going forward, recognizing the need to address lingering issues while maintaining confidence in their potential. “There’s a lot of self-reflection, a lot of going to the doctor, as Coach says, and cleaning up because we have to. There’s only so much you can get away with, and you don’t want to be in this position. But thank goodness for Atticus [the kicker], because you don’t want to leave it up to chance.”
As the Ducks head into their next game, Gabriel emphasized the importance of continuing to improve. “We’ve got to keep focusing on the things we need to clean up so that doesn’t happen again.”
