Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel intensified the Heisman Trophy chatter in Eugene after hitting his newest milestone. He's officially the NCAA's No. 2 leader in both all-time passing yards and touchdowns.

Gabriel shredded the Illinois Fighting Illini with 292 yards and four touchdowns, with 246 of that yardage coming in the first half. Many fans are projecting he'll crash the Heisman Trophy ceremony and join Cam Ward of Miami and Shedeur Sanders of Colorado as the QB representatives.

The potential Heisman candidate, however, reminded what he's really chasing.

“I'm just not a big individual accolades guy. I'm chasing wins,” Gabriel said to CBS Sports' Jenny Dell following the 38-9 rout over the Fighting Illini.

The Ducks sit atop the top 25 as the nation's No. 1 overall team. Their QB1 is putting together a Heisman campaign. Gabriel, though, sounds more concerned about stacking victories over stacking milestones. He's already downplayed the No. 1 ranking before the Illinois game.

Still, Gabriel is cementing his case as a collegiate legend with the numbers he's piling.

Which QB did Dillon Gabriel pass? 

Dillon Gabriel skips to the end zone during Oregon's home win over Illinois
Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Hawaii native from Mililani has now passed over one of the more decorated passers from his own home state.

Related Oregon Football NewsArticle continues below
Michigan Wolverines quarterback helmets sit on the field before a game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Raymond James Stadium.
Michigan football battling two Big Ten rivals for 4-star DL
USC Trojans linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold (4) intercepts a pass intended for Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Khalil Dinkins (16) at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
USC pursuing rising 2027 talent with Junior Seau ties
Team Blue Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) tries to run after recovering his fumble during the second half of the spring game at Michigan Stadium
Bryce Underwood’s teammate reveals major QB factor that will translate in 2025

Gabriel surpassed former Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang as the No. 2 leader for career passing yards per Big 10 Oregon reporter James Crepa. Chang hailed from nearby Honolulu before rewriting the national passing records at the University of Hawaii.

The former Rainbow Warriors QB led the nation in multiple categories four times in his illustrious career. Chang completed and attempted more passes than any NCAA QB in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004. He also led the nation in passing yards three times.

The Ducks QB1 has had a far different collegiate journey compared to the legend from his state. Gabriel started his career for Central Florida for three seasons. He complied 26 starts for UCF and led the nation with 3,570 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2020.

But he landed at Oklahoma in the transfer portal after the 2021 season. He tallied 6,828 total aerial yards through his two seasons at Norman. He left the Sooners as the nation's leader in passing yards at 3,660 and touchdowns by tossing 30.

Now, through seven games, Gabriel continues to ascend nationally. He just produced his first four-touchdown outing in a Ducks uniform. He now has 17,237 career yards on his resume. Gabriel officially needs 1,981 yards to shatter the all-time record held by Case Keenum (19,217 total yards) during his University of Houston run from 2007 to 2011.

If Oregon advances to the Big 10 title game then the College Football Playoffs, Gabriel will have a realistic shot at breaking Keenum's marks. It also gives new leverage in advancing the Gabriel Heisman hype. Oregon hasn't produced a Heisman-winning QB since Marcus Mariota, which was 10 years ago.

But as he said after the Illinois game, Gabriel cares more about stacking victories, not yards or touchdowns.