The No. 23 Oregon Ducks scored 31 unanswered points across the second and third quarters and held off a late Ohio State rally to beat the No. 12 Buckeyes 41-28 on Saturday at Ohio Stadium. Dierre Hill Jr. ran for 75 yards and two touchdowns, and Dylan Raiola threw for 257 yards and two scores as Oregon improved to 6-3.
Ohio State built a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on two short Bo Jackson touchdown runs, but the Buckeyes managed just three points over the next two quarters while Oregon scored 31 straight. Luke Fahey threw for 360 yards and two touchdowns for Ohio State, which falls to 6-3 with the loss.
Key Moments: How Oregon Erased A 14-Point Deficit
Jackson’s touchdown runs of 16 and 8 yards gave Ohio State a 14-0 lead with 1:20 left in the first quarter. Oregon answered before halftime, scoring 17 unanswered points that started with a 33-yard Gage Hurych field goal and included a 9-yard Hill touchdown run and a 2-yard score from Jamari Johnson with no time left on the clock, putting the Ducks ahead 17-14 at the break.
Oregon kept rolling to open the second half. Hill broke off a 48-yard touchdown run with 13:11 left in the third quarter, and Raiola found Dakorien Moore for an 11-yard score later in the period to push the lead to 31-14. Raiola added a 15-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Smith early in the fourth quarter that made it 38-14.
Ohio State cut into the deficit late, with Fahey throwing touchdown passes to Jeremiah Smith and Nate Roberts in the final eight minutes, the first of which came with a successful two-point conversion. Hurych’s 40-yard field goal with 1:08 remaining restored Oregon’s cushion to 41-22 before Fahey’s final score made it a 41-28 final.
Top Performers From The Official Box Score
Hill led all rushers with 75 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, a 5.8-yard average. Raiola completed 25 of 40 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Dakorien Moore caught seven passes for 56 yards and a score, and Brandon Smith added three catches for 52 yards and a touchdown of his own.
Fahey completed 36 of 50 passes for 360 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for Ohio State. Jeremiah Smith hauled in seven receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown, including a long of 57 yards. Jackson ran for 48 yards and two scores on just 11 carries. Devon Jackson led Oregon’s defense with eight tackles and the Ducks’ only interception, and Earl Little Jr. paced Ohio State with 10 tackles.
What It Means
Oregon outgained Ohio State on the ground 108-53 and won the turnover battle, finishing without a giveaway while forcing one interception. The Ducks also converted their only fourth-down attempt while Ohio State went 0 for 4 on fourth down, a difference that proved costly given how close the two teams were in total yardage, 413 for the Buckeyes to 395 for Oregon.
Both teams now sit at 6-3.
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