COLUMBUS - Already heavy underdogs after a lackluster win in their Opener against Fresno State, the Ducks headed into Columbus for a pivotal non-conference matchup also missing two key players. Kayvvon Thibodeaux (ankle) and Justin Flowe (foot) made the trip to Columbus, but were unable to make a go of it Saturday morning.
While the defense was resilient early, Ohio State moved the ball well before a couple of errant passes by CJ Stroud turned the ball over to Oregon on Downs. After two drives, the Ducks had given up 105 yards on 21 plays with the Buckeyes having held the ball for 9:15 of game clock; their second drive ending in a punt that pinned the Ducks at their own one-yard line.
The position and injuries seemed insurmountable at that point. And then Oregon got a first down. And another. Suddenly, the offense was controlling the line of scrimmage and making plays on the ground and through the air. With passes to Devon Williams, CJ Verdell, and Travis Dye covering 49 yards and CJ Verdell finishing off the drive with a perfect outside run of 14 yards to start the second quarter, Oregon took the early lead.
Oregon remained tough defensively and efficient offensively in the first half, but blown coverage while the Duck defenders were looking down at their wrist bands led to an easy touchdown for Garrett Wilson on a 27-yard pass from Stroud to tie up the game midway through the quarter. While the Ducks would mount another drive of 65 yards in 7 plays to take the lead, the story of the first half was the Oregon defense. Still holding onto a 14-7 lead with Ohio State at the Oregon 39 and looking to tie it up with just over two minutes left in the half, a big play by Noah Sewell to stop Buckeye running back Miyan Williams for no gain gave the Ducks momentum headed into the locker room for halftime.
Having weathered the early storm, the Ducks opened the second half with a 3-play, 84-yard drive capped by an explosive 77-yard touchdown run from CJ Verdell that seemed to answer every critic with a burst of speed, good vision and a broken tackle on the same play. Verdell finished the game with 161 yards on 20 carries as well as a receiving touchdown for Oregon.
The Ducks would trade touchdowns with Ohio State over the rest of the third quarter to go into the fourth leading 28-14. While the rush defense looked solid for much of the game, Oregon missed Thibodeaux and Flowe as they struggled to get pressure on Stroud allowing the freshman to complete 35 of 54 passes for 484 yards.
While the Buckeye offense was able to have its way through the air, the difference in this game came down to the decision making of Anthony Brown and the play in the trenches for Oregon. After a disappointing performance against Fresno State, the offensive line played like the elite group Cristobal expects.
Behind the talented line, the Ducks rushed for 7.1 yards per carry with 269 total rushing yards while Ohio State gained just 128 on 32 carries. The difference in play within the trenches was huge for Oregon; but a week after Brown underwhelmed some, he seemed to play a near perfect game making the right reads completing 17 of 35 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns passing.
Despite being without their two defensive stars, the Ducks made three crucial plays down the stretch getting two sacks and an interception with a slim 35-28 lead and just under three minutes remaining in the game. The interception by Verone McKinley III did not quite seal the game, but a sack with less than ten seconds remaining ended Ohio State’s slim comeback chances.
For Oregon (2-0) the win is possibly their biggest non-conference regular season win in history. It marks their first victory over Ohio State in ten tries and is a critical piece for the conference as realignment waves continue.
To quote Jerry Allen – this is a statement by Oregon.
Next week Oregon faces Stony Brook before embarking on a conference schedule in which they are likely to be favored every week.
