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Oregon football fell into a massive hole at the Rose Bowl against Ohio State. Now quarterback Dillon Gabriel is down a few weapons on the Ducks' side.
The Heisman trophy finalist lost not one, but two teammates. One even came before the Buckeyes jumped to a 34-0 lead in the first half of this College Football Playoffs matchup. Gabriel didn't have one of his top wide receivers healthy, per ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel.
“Dan Lanning told Ian Fitzsimmons on ESPN Radio at halftime that star WR Evan Stewart got ‘banged up' during pre-game warm-ups. He didn’t play a snap in first half,” Thamel said on X.
But that wasn't the only major injury affecting the Ducks.
“Jordan James was being evaluated for a head injury in first half,” Thamel added.
Gabriel and the Ducks struggled offensively without both, mustering just 15 points by the fourth quarter. Stewart and James sat out the rest of the game, per Chris Hansen of the Eugene Register Guard.
Ohio State led 41-15 early into the fourth quarter. But that was before Gabriel hit a new mark.
Dillon Gabriel matches record despite losing 2 Oregon weapons
The left-handed quarterback fired his 155th career touchdown throw at the 10 minute mark of the fourth. He lobbed the 27-yarder to Traeshon Holden to cut the Ohio State lead to 41-21.
But that touchdown paired Gabriel's name with another college football star in the NCAA history books. Gabriel tied Case Keenum for most career touchdown throws in a career. The longtime NFL veteran QB threw 155 aerial scores when he suited up for the University of Houston.
Gabriel, however, endured a rough night in Pasadena. Ohio State applied constant pressure on the Ducks' QB1 — sacking him five times on the evening. The Buckeyes surpassed Boise State as the defense that sacked Gabriel the most during a 2024 game. The Broncos nailed him four times on Sept. 7, but Gabriel and the Ducks won 37-34 over the eventual CFP quarterfinalist.
