Oregon defense dominant in 31-10 win over Michigan State

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Published Oct 4, 2024

Oregon defense dominant in 31-10 win over Michigan State

Scott Reed • DuckSportsAuthority

Publisher

@DSAFootball

EUGENE, Ore. — After a rocky start, the Oregon Ducks found their rhythm to cruise past Michigan State 31-10 at Autzen Stadium on Saturday. Dillon Gabriel threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns, despite two early interceptions, and Jordan James added 166 rushing yards as the Ducks extended their unbeaten run in 2024.

Oregon stumbled through the early stages, going three-and-out on their first drive and turning the ball over twice in the red zone. Gabriel, who finished 20-of-32 passing, struggled early, completing just two of his first seven passes and tossing a pair of interceptions.

Despite these setbacks, the Ducks’ defense remained stout. They gave up only 43 rushing yards on 23 carries and held Michigan State quarterback Aiden Chiles to 87 passing yards on 6-of-12 attempts. The Spartans' offense showed brief promise in the first quarter when Chiles completed a 44-yard pass to Nick Marsh, but the Ducks forced a turnover on the next play when Chiles fumbled during a scramble, recovered by Oregon’s Jordan Burch.

Oregon's offense began to click late in the first quarter. After Michigan State failed to capitalize on the Ducks' early mistakes, Gabriel led a seven-play, 75-yard drive, capping it with a 9-yard rushing touchdown to give Oregon a 7-0 lead.

Jordan James provided a spark with a 41-yard run in the first quarter, finishing with 166 yards on 24 carries, his biggest game of the season. Oregon racked up 103 rushing yards in the first quarter alone, compared to Michigan State’s meager 3 yards.

The second quarter saw Oregon stretch their lead to 14-0 after a 55-yard, seven-play drive that culminated in James' short run. Gabriel bounced back from his second interception of the game to lead a two-minute drill, ending the half with a perfectly placed touchdown pass to Evan Stewart, extending the lead to 21-0 just before the break.

Oregon’s defense continued to dominate, forcing Michigan State into a punt on their first possession of the second half. The Ducks responded with a 50-yard field goal by Andrew Boyle, extending the lead to 24-0.

The Spartans finally found the end zone in the fourth quarter, taking advantage of Oregon's defensive reserves to drive 75 yards in seven plays, cutting the lead to 31-7. A late field goal by Michigan State finished the scoring, but the Ducks were never seriously threatened.

Oregon outgained Michigan State 477-250in total yards, with 213 coming on the ground. Gabriel’s two touchdown passes, including one to Tez Johnson, and a dominant defensive performance helped seal the win.

Next up for Oregon is a highly anticipated top-10 showdown against Ohio State at Autzen Stadium next Saturday, with kickoff set for 4:30 PM Pacific time.