Historic Season Continues For Ducks

Saturday, November 30

Eugene, Ore.

4:30 PM

University of Oregon

12-0 , 9-0

Washington

6-6 , 4-5

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Washington

Oregon

Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com

11/30/24 | Football

Box Score #1 Oregon 49, Washington 21 Postgame Notes Photo Gallery

No. 1 Oregon completed a 12-0 regular season for the second time ever Saturday, and now advances to the first Big Ten title game in school history.

By: Rob Moseley

EUGENE, Ore. — They've achieved something only done once previously in school history. Now, the Oregon football team is looking to do things it's never done before.

The Ducks completed a perfect 12-0 regular season for just the second time ever Saturday, matching the 2010 team's feat with a 49-21 win over Washington before 59,603 fans in Autzen Stadium. Now it's on to the Big Ten Championship Game, where Oregon will face Penn State in Indianapolis on Dec. 7 (5 p.m. PT, CBS).

Win that, and the top-ranked Ducks not only will have a Big Ten title in their first season of competition in the conference, but also a first-round bye in the newly expanded College Football Playoff format.

"You come to Oregon to play in games and moments like that," UO head coach Dan Lanning said of Saturday's result. "What we've created so far this season is really special. But obviously there's still some things ahead of us."

The Ducks finished off their perfect regular season by avenging their only two losses from the 2023 season, both to the Huskies. Lanning earned his first win in four tries over UW, behind an incredibly balanced offensive effort and a defense that tied the school single-game record with 10 sacks.

The Oregon Ducks take on the Washington Huskies at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon on November 30, 2024 (Eric Evans Photography)

Dillon Gabriel was 16-of-23 passing for 209 yards and two touchdowns, and he also had one of the Ducks' five rushing touchdowns as he burnished his credentials as a possible Heisman Trophy finalist. Another of the team's seniors playing potentially for the last time in Autzen Stadium, Bryce Boettcher, had 11 tackles to lead the UO defense, including one of Oregon's 10 sacks — tying the school record set against Stanford in 2004.

"That was fun, more than anything for those 31 seniors that we got to recognize before the game started," Lanning said. "They've worked so hard, and some of them have been here since the day we got here. So for them to be able to enjoy a moment like that after all their hard work, that really excites me and certainly excites our team."

Jordan Burch returned from injury to lead the UO defense with 2.5 sacks, and Matayo Uiagalelei had two. Receiver Tez Johnson also returned from injury Saturday, catching a touchdown pass in the third quarter.

The Oregon Ducks take on the Washington Huskies at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon on November 30, 2024 (Eric Evans Photography)

Oregon took a 28-14 lead into halftime Saturday, behind two rushing touchdowns from Jordan James and one each from Noah Whittington and Gabriel. Johnson and Terrance Ferguson each caught a TD pass from Gabriel in the second half, and Da'Jaun Riggs capped the scoring for Oregon with a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.

"There's always things you can clean up, but I'm proud of the guys and the way we set the tone, set the pace," Gabriel said. "… Running the football, man — you look at everyone contributing in that way, and then taking what they give us in the pass game. Being aggressive when we needed to, and being smart when that presented itself. More importantly, it's playing clean and efficient, and then executing at a high level."

Oregon came into the day having secured the No. 1 seed into the Big Ten title game. Ohio State was in the driver's seat to secure the other bid, but the Buckeyes' loss Saturday morning to Michigan opened the door for Penn State, which wrapped up the berth later in the day by beating Maryland.

The Oregon Ducks take on the Washington Huskies at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon on November 30, 2024 (Eric Evans Photography)

The Ducks and Nittany Lions will meet for the fifth time ever, and for the first time since a win for Penn State in the Rose Bowl following the historic 1994 season for Oregon. The Ducks' only win in the series so far was at Penn State in 1964.

The winner of the Big Ten title game will most likely earn one of four first-round byes in the new 12-team playoff format. The loser would more than likely host a first-round game, with the winner advancing to face a top-four seed in the quarterfinals.

"I always feel like you can stop and celebrate whenever the season is done," Lanning said. "In our world, you don't get the opportunity to be satisfied. That's just the reality of the world we live in. Everyone right now is going to be patting us on the back; who cares?"

On Saturday night, James set a punishing tone early, rushing for 40 yards on Oregon's opening drive. Whittington finished that off with a touchdown, and the Ducks led the rest of the way.

The Oregon Ducks take on the Washington Huskies at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon on November 30, 2024 (Eric Evans Photography)

After UW pulled within one on a pair of field goals — the second set up by a UO fumble — James ran for two scores within a span of 50 seconds, the second set up by a Washington turnover. Gabriel then rushed for a touchdown that made it 28-6 in the second quarter, before UW scored late in the first half to trail 28-14 at halftime.

Burch had two of Oregon's three sacks on UW's opening drive of the second half, as the UO defense began to hound Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. The UO offense capitalized on that stop with Gabriel's touchdown pass to Johnson, the only points of the third quarter.

Ferguson scored early in the fourth, on a night he became Oregon's all-time leader in receptions by a tight end. Riggs scored with 5:02 to make it 49-14, before UW scored its only points of the second half with 1:43 remaining in the game.