EUGENE, Ore. — Dillon Gabriel tossed two touchdown passes and added another on the ground, enabling the top-ranked Oregon Ducks to wrap up a flawless regular season with a decisive 49-21 triumph over the Washington Huskies on Saturday.
With this victory, Oregon, also at the head of the College Football Playoff standings, secured its position in the upcoming Big Ten Championship game next week, where they will take on Penn State, who earlier defeated Maryland with a score of 44-7. Ohio State’s narrow loss to Michigan played a crucial role in allowing the Nittany Lions to earn a spot in the title clash.
Gabriel completed 16 of his 23 passes for a total of 209 yards, while Jordan James contributed significantly to the offense by rushing for 99 yards and scoring two touchdowns for the Ducks, who finished their campaign undefeated at 12-0 overall and 9-0 in league play.
This marks the first time since 2010 that Oregon completed the regular season without a loss, a feat they also achieved when heading into the BCS national championship game.
Last year, Oregon’s single regular-season defeat came at the hands of the Huskies, and in the subsequent Pac-12 Championship game, Washington again triumphed. The Huskies finished that season at an impressive 13-0 but ultimately fell to Michigan in the national title match.
This year’s scenario was starkly different for the Huskies, who ended up with a 6-6 record overall and 4-5 in the conference. Like Oregon, Washington had transitioned out of the Pac-12 over the previous summer.
Starting at quarterback for Washington was freshman Demond Williams Jr., who stepped in following Will Rogers, the team’s usual starter. Williams played an instrumental role in helping Washington defeat UCLA for bowl eligibility.
In the game, Williams managed to throw for 201 yards and one touchdown. However, Washington’s ground game struggled, accumulating only 43 rushing yards against Oregon’s defense.
Notably, Oregon’s leading receiver Tez Johnson returned to action after missing time due to a shoulder injury suffered during the win over Michigan on November 2. Johnson connected with Gabriel for a 9-yard touchdown reception during the third quarter, extending the Ducks’ lead to 35-14.
Oregon took an early lead with a 9-yard rushing touchdown from Noah Whittington. Washington responded with a 26-yard field goal from Grady Gross, who later added a 41-yarder in the second quarter, narrowing the game to 7-6.
Gabriel then linked up with Traeshon Holden for a 40-yard catch-and-run that was originally called a touchdown but was overturned by video review, placing Holden at the 1-yard line. James scored shortly after, putting Oregon up 14-6.
A fumble by Jonah Coleman handed Oregon the ball at the Husky 19-yard line, and James quickly scored his second touchdown, making it 21-6. Gabriel’s 4-yard touchdown run upped the score to 28-6, though Coleman managed to rush for a 1-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 28-14 at halftime.
In the fourth quarter, Gabriel added a 16-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Ferguson, and Da’Jaun Riggs scored from short range. Williams connected with Giles Jackson for a 28-yard touchdown pass in the final moments of the game.
Key Insights:
Washington had previously bested the Ducks in the last three encounters, leading the overall series 63-49-5, but their winning streak against Oregon came to an end on Saturday.
Oregon’s Jordan Burch, returning from an ankle injury that sidelined him in the previous game, had an impressive performance, recording 2.5 sacks and three tackles. The Ducks matched a program record with 10 sacks in the game.
Looking ahead, Oregon will face off against Penn State in the Big Ten Championship game in Indianapolis on Saturday, while Washington will await news regarding their bowl game selection.
