No. 3 Oregon Wins Back-and-Forth Battle with No. 2 Ohio State, 32-31
10/12/2024 8:42:00 PM | Football
EUGENE, Oregon – In a game that featured seven lead changes, No. 2 Ohio State (5-1, 2-1) dropped a 32-31 affair at No. 3 Oregon (6-0, 3-0) Saturday at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. Quarterback Will Howard completed 28-of-35 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns while added a score on the ground. Receivers Emeka Egbuka caught 10 passes for 93 yards and one score while Jeremiah Smith added 100 yards and a touchdown on nine grabs. Running backs TreVeyon Henderson ran for 87 yards on 10 carries while running mate Quinshon Judkins carried 11 times for 23 yards and a score.
On defense, Cody Simon led the Buckeyes with 10 tackles while Sonny Styles added nine with six solos. Ohio State will have next week off before playing host to Nebraska Oct. 26. Game time against the Huskers has not been announced.
First Quarter
No. 2 Ohio State 7, No. 3 Oregon 6
Oregon won the pregame coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. Ohio State got the ball first, starting on the OSU25 after a touchback. Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard went to the air right away, completing four of his first five efforts in taking the Buckeyes to the Oregon 21 after a 32-yard reception by tight end Will Kacmarek. Howard then found running back Quinshon Judkins down the left side for a gain of 17 to the Oregon 1. Howard then rushed right up the middle for the score and a 7-0 lead. Ohio State’s drive covered 75 yards on 10 plays while eating up five minutes. Howard connected on 5-of-6 passes on the opening drive for 65 yards.
Oregon started from its 25 after a touchback on the ensuing kickoff. The Ducks got a first down at their 36 before the Buckeyes forced a punt after the Oregon drive stalled at its 43. The Buckeyes got the ball back after a 42-yard punt that went out of bounds at the OSU15. The Buckeyes went to Emeka Egbuka on a handoff over the right side for a gain of 12 to the Ohio State 27 on the first play its second possession. Two plays later, Judkins fumbled at the OSU28 giving the Ducks possession. Oregon’s Derrick Harmon was credited with the forced fumble and recovery. The Ducks gained 25 yards on its first play to the OSU3 on a rush by Jordan James. James then scored on the next play on a rush up the middle. After a bad snap on the extra point, Oregon failed on a pass attempt for two points. Ohio State remained in the lead, 7-6.
Ohio State started from its 25 after a touchback. The Buckeyes were forced back 7 yards on loss on a pass play and a false start penalty. Howard got 6 of the yards back on a rush to the left. After another false start penalty, the Buckeyes were forced to punt after a pass to Egbuka gained 3 yards to the OSU22. Joe McQuire then came in to punt for the Buckeyes, and after an Ohio State delay of game penalty, delivered a 42-yard kick to the Oregon 41. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel found receiver Evan Steward for a gain of 28 to the OSU28 on the Ducks second play after the punt. Ohio State’s defense then stopped Oregon at the OSU 26. Oregon attempted a 44-yard field goal that missed right. The Buckeyes immediately went to TreVeyon Henderson for a gain of 17 over the left side to the OSU43. On the next play, Henderson carried 53 yards, again over the left side of the line, to the Oregon 4 to end the first quarter.
Second Quarter
No. 2 Ohio State 21, No. 3 Oregon 22
The Buckeyes scored on the second play of the quarter after Howard carried to the Oregon 1 before handing off to Judkins for a 1-yard touchdown run over left tackle. After the point after touchdown was good by Jayden Fielding, Ohio State took a 14-6 lead. The drive covered 74 yards on just four plays over 1:21.
After a touchback, the Ducks took over at their 25. On their second play, Gabriel connected with Evan Stewart deep down the right sideline for a gain of 69 yards to the Ohio State 8. After a loss of 2, Gabriel connected with Stewart in the front left of the endzone for a 10-yard touchdown to make it 14-12 Buckeyes after Oregon failed on a 2-point conversion rush. The Ducks kicked off from the 50 after Ohio State was called for a personal foul during Oregon’s touchdown. The Ducks got the ball back after Andrew Boyle’s kickoff hit Caleb Downs at the OSU 41. The Ducks recovered to gain possession. Gabriel then went deep right away to Traeshon Holden for a 32-yard gain to the OSU 9. After a loss of 1 and an Oregon unsportsmanlike conduct (Holden ejected for spitting on opposing player) penalty moved the Ducks to the OSU25, Ohio State forced a 27-yard field goal attempt that was good to make it 15-14 Ducks.
Following a touchback and a couple rushes for a gain of 1, Howard found Gee Scott Jr. for 15 yards to the OSU41. Henderson then caught a pass for a gain of 3 followed by a 6-yard rush by Judkins to the 50. Judkins then carried for a 3-yard gain over the left side on fourth-and-2 for a first down at the Oregon 48. The Ducks called timeout before an Egbuka rush right for 7 yards and a Judkins rush over the left side for 6 to the Ducks 36. Judkins then caught a Howard offering down the right side for 21 yards to the UO15. Two plays later, Howard connected with Egbuka for a 15-yard touchdown down the left side for the 21-15 Ohio State lead. The Buckeyes ran 12 plays and covered 75 yards over 6:16 to regain the lead. Oregon started from their 25 after a touchback and moved to the OSU 49 after a pair of first downs before the two-minute timeout. Three plays later, Gabriel connected with Tez Johnson for a 48-yard touchdown reception down the right side. Following the PAT, Oregon went back on top 22-21 with 1:17 left in the half.
The Buckeyes were stopped a yard shy of the first down at their 34. Oregon called a timeout with 49 seconds on the clock. McQuire then punted the ball away, a 36-yard effort to the Oregon 30. The half ended after Oregon punted it away and Ohio State ran out the clock at the OSU19.
Third Quarter
No. 2 Ohio State 28, No. 3 Oregon 22
The Ducks started the second half with the ball at their 25 following a touchback. Oregon drove to their 44 before a punt of 35 yards out of bounds to the OSU21. Howard, on the second play of the possession, connected with freshman Jeremiah Smith for 38 yards to the Oregon 38. After a Judkins rush for 3, Howard found Scott down the middle to the OU 10 for a gain of 25. Egbuka then caught a pass for 4 yards before Smith scored on a 6-yard grab from a scrambling Howard in the right side of the endzone for the go-ahead touchdown. The drive that put the Buckeyes up 28-22 covered 79 yards on six plays over 3:08.
Oregon converted on a fourth-and-1 pass play for 32 yards to the OSU20. The Ducks moved to the Ohio State 2 on a 7-yard James rush. Ohio State then got the ball back on downs after a pair of incompletions. Howard got the Buckeyes some breathing room on the second play of the drive after a 15-yard completion to Egbuka to the OSU20. Henderson got the call on the next two plays before Howard fumbled the snap to set the Buckeyes back 10 yards to the OSU17. McQuire then punted it away, a 43-yarder, to the Oregon 40. The quarter ended after a 9-yard pass from Gabriel to Johnson to the Oregon 49.
Fourth Quarter
No. 2 Ohio State 31, No. 3 Oregon 32
Oregon went back in the lead four plays into the final quarter on a 27-yard Gabriel rush over the right edge to make it 29-28 Ducks with 13:20 left. Howard moved the Buckeyes to the Oregon 43 after an 18-yard completion to Smith. Following a false start penalty, Howard completed passes for 8 yards to Egubka and 10 to Smith to put Ohio State at the Oregon 30. Howard then found Egbuka for another gain, this time for 11 yards to the Ducks 19. Another false start moved Ohio State back to the UO 24. Ohio State’s drive stalled at the Oregon 22. Fielding then connected on a 40-yard field goal to give the Buckeyes the lead at 31-29 with six minutes left.
Oregon started its next possession from their 25 after a touchback. The Ducks quickly moved to the Ohio State 26 after a 26-yard pass play from Gabriel to Terrance Furguson. Ohio State was then called for pass interference moving the ball to the OSU 9. Noah Whittington then rushed twice to the Ohio State 2. The Buckeyes called timeout with 1:55 on the clock. Jordan was then stopped at the OSU 1 before another Ohio State timeout. The Ducks then kicked the field goal, a 19-yarder, to go back on top 32-31 with 1:47 to go.
Howard was sacked for a loss of 9 on the first play of Ohio State’s next possession. He then found Carnell Tate for 13 yards and Egbuka for another 8 to the OSU 37. Smith then caught a pass for a 9-yard gain to the OSU46 before Egbuka gained 26 on a pass from Howard to the Oregon 28. Following an incompletion, Ohio State was called for pass interference, moving the ball back to the Oregon 43. After another incompletion, Oregon called timeout with 10 seconds to play. Howards next effort also was incomplete but Oregon was called for an illegal substitution moving the ball to the Oregon 38. Howard then rushed for 12 yards up the middle but time ran out to end the game.
