Oregon's biggest early season issue picked the worst possible time to rear its ugly head
Do you remember back in the early part of the season, when despite winning their first two games, the concerns and panic meter surrounding the Ducks was at an all-time high? I do. Against the Idaho Vandals, Oregon struggled out of the gate at home. They pulled away, winning 24-14, but they surrendered three sacks on […]
Do you remember back in the early part of the season, when despite winning their first two games, the concerns and panic meter surrounding the Ducks was at an all-time high? I do.
Against the Idaho Vandals, Oregon struggled out of the gate at home. They pulled away, winning 24-14, but they surrendered three sacks on the game. The trend continued in Week 2, narrowly beating Boise State and Heisman Trophy Finalist, running back Ashton Jeanty, 37-34. The offensive line was again an issue, with Dillon Gabriel taking four sacks.
People were panicking, knocking Oregon far down their ranks because of the struggles the offensive line were having.
Oregon got it figured out, turning up their performance level dramatically as the season went along. Gabriel took only five sacks over the next 11 games, including a clean sheet on October 12th in Oregon's first meeting with Ohio State.
In the Rose Bowl, everything changed. Oregon's line had no answers for Ohio State in their second meeting, with Gabriel being sacked a whopping seven times on his way to a 41-21 route that saw the Buckeyes get out to a 34-0 lead in the first half.
For left tackle Josh Connerly Jr. and right tackle Ajani Cornelius, it was their last game in an Oregon jersey. Connerly held up well, but Cornelius was clearly the matchup that Ohio State felt they had an advantage over. Jack Sawyer picked on him all night, logging four pressures, two sacks, and three passes batted down.
Oregon got dominated at all levels of the field, on both sides of the ball. Whether it was game plan, preparation, or a lack of focus, it was a horrible showing for the Ducks, and the worst possible time to play their worst game.
Was this a successful season for the Oregon Ducks? We look back at the 2024 season that was
Let’s take a step back.
Follow along all year for more Oregon Ducks coverage on A to Z Sports. You can find me on Bluesky @jonhelmkamp.bsky.social, as well as follow our main page @AtoZSports.bsky.social for all the latest news.
