Quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw for a touchdown and ran for another and Jordan James rushed for a touchdown as part of his 117 yards, leading No. 1 Oregon to a 38-17 win over Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Saturday.
Noah Whittington added two rushing touchdowns for the Ducks (9-0 overall, 6-0 in Big Ten), as Oregon built an 18-point lead at halftime and remained in control in the second half. The Ducks lost top wide receiver Tez Johnson to an upper body injury early in the game, and a fumble on special teams led to Michigan’s first touchdown. But Oregon overcame those and dominated on both sides of the ball.
Oregon is 9-0 to open the season for the first time since 2012 and third time in program history. The Ducks improved to 8-1 in games as the country’s top-ranked team.
Oregon scored four touchdowns on five first-half possessions, the last of the four on Gabriel’s 23-yard touchdown run. The Ducks’ first touchdown appeared to be an incomplete two-yard pass to Evan Stewart, but the play was not reviewed.
Gabriel, a Heisman Trophy contender, completed 22 of 34 pass attempts for 294 yards.
Davis Warren was 13-of-23 for 165 yards with two touchdown passes for Michigan (5-4, 3-3). His six-yard touchdown pass to Peyton O’Leary on third-and-goal midway through the third quarter made it 28-17.
Oregon’s defense had allowed nine total points in the past two games, but the Wolverines were able to find some success moving the ball. Michigan just couldn’t limit Oregon’s offense, and an illegal formation penalty as Oregon was set to punt the ball away in the third quarter gave the Ducks possession again.
That drive produced Atticus Sappington’s 26-yard field goal with 36 seconds to play in the third quarter for a 31-17 lead.
Michigan had a chance to make it a one-score game midway through the fourth quarter, but a trick play on fourth-and-five from the Ducks’ 10-yard line fell incomplete for a turnover on downs with 7:24 to play. Oregon then drove 90 yards for a game-sealing touchdown, a two-yard run from James.
