DALLAS (FWAA) – The Oregon Ducks came from behind twice in the fourth quarter – capped by a game-winning 19-yard field goal from Atticus Sappington – to take down Ohio State, 32-31, in a top-five clash of Big Ten and national title contenders Saturday. For grabbing the win in front of a stadium-record 60,129 fans, the Ducks (6-0) earned the Cheez-It National Team of the Week award for games played the weekend of Oct. 12, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.
This is the third time overall for the Ducks to be the team of the week and the first time in 12 seasons since they shared the honor with Alabama the week of Nov. 3, 2012.
Dillon Gabriel threw for 341 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, Jordan James rushed for 115 yards and a score and Evan Stewart broke out with seven receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown. Tysheem Johnson and Kobe Savage had eight tackles each to lead the Ducks defense, and Matayo Uiagalelei – filling in for injured defensive lineman Jordan Burch – had two tackles for loss including a clock-killing sack on Ohio State's first play after the go-ahead field goal.
The final seven scoring plays of the day all resulted in a lead change in what is an instant classic. Before the back-and-forth final three quarters, the Ducks had to dig themselves out of an early hole. Oregon trailed 14-6 moments into the second quarter and 21-15 late in the first half. It was 28-22 Buckeyes entering the fourth quarter before an electrifying 27-yard rushing touchdown by Gabriel put the Ducks back in front, 29-28.
The Buckeyes answered that with a field goal to lead 31-29 with 6:00 left. Gabriel then drove the Ducks to set up Sappington’s go-ahead field goal. It was the fourth game this season for Gabriel to have both a rushing and a passing touchdown. He completed six passes of 20-plus yards against the top-ranked Ohio State defense and now sits No. 2 in NCAA history in total touchdowns (169) and total yards (17,818), and is third in passing touchdowns (138).
"It's a fun moment, man," coach Dan Lanning said. "It's a fun moment that I know that everyone in that stadium that's wearing green got to enjoy and celebrate, and everybody that worked so hard got to enjoy. For me, that's the rewarding part, is that so many other people could share joy in a moment like that. Our players, our fans, the people this program means so much to – that's as much for them as anybody else. And I was just glad that they got that moment tonight."
Oregon goes on the road in a short week, traveling to Purdue for an 8 p.m. ET game Friday on FOX.
Since 2002, the FWAA has named a National Team of the Week. Coming into the 2023 season, 284 teams have been honored, including 101 different Division I programs. Each honored team will receive a custom Cheez-It "care package" along with a hand-crafted game ball made in America by Dallas-based Big Game USA, the nation's leading manufacturer of custom footballs.
The other National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Oct. 12 were:
- Arizona State (5-1): The Sun Devils improved to 5-1 for the first time since 2019 as Cam Skattebo rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-19 win over No. 16 Utah. It was ASU’s first official win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 6 Oregon on Nov. 23, 2019. Skattebo, a top all-purpose back, has now accounted for 400 total yards on 53 touches the past two games, 340 of it on the ground.
- LSU (5-1): Garrett Nussmeier found wide receiver Kyren Lacy in the south end zone for a 25-yard touchdown on the first play of overtime as No. 13 LSU defeated No. 9 Ole Miss, 29-26, on a wild Saturday Night in Death Valley. Celebrating 100 Years of Tiger Stadium, Lacy’s catch gave LSU its only lead of the game following Caden Davis’ stadium-record 57-yard field goal on the Rebels’ overtime-opening possession. Nussmeier threw for 337 yards with three touchdowns and wasn’t sacked, placekicker Damian Ramos hit field goals from 33, 45 and 41 yards and linebacker Whit Weeks had a career-best 18 tackles along with a sack.
- Penn State (6-0): The Nittany Lions stayed perfect, winning for the first time at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in a 33-30 overtime heartstopper over USC. After trailing 20-6 at halftime, Penn State put together a dominant showing on both sides of the ball, amassing 518 total yards highlighted by a magical performance by tight end Tyler Warren. Warren set the Penn State school record and tied the FBS tight end record with 17 receptions and set a Penn State and Big Ten record with 224 receiving yards, the most in a single game by a tight end.
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AKellanova (NYSE: K) is a leader in global snacking, international cereal and noodles, and North America frozen foods with a legacy stretching back more than 100 years. Powered by differentiated brands including Pringles®, Cheez-It®, Pop-Tarts®, Kellogg's ® Rice Krispies Treats®, RXBAR®, Eggo®, MorningStar Farms®, Special K®, Coco Pops®, and more, Kellanova’s vision is to become the world’s best-performing snacks-led powerhouse, unleashing the full potential of our differentiated brands and our passionate people. Our net sales for 2023 were $13 billion. At Kellanova, our purpose is to create better days and ensure everyone has a seat at the table through our trusted food brands. We are committed to promoting sustainable and equitable food access by tackling the crossroads of hunger, sustainability, wellbeing, and equity, diversity & inclusion. Our goal is to create Better Days for 4 billion people by the end of 2030 (from a 2015 baseline). For more detailed information about our commitments, our approach to achieving these goals, and methodology, please visit our website at kellanova.com.
ABOUT FLORIDA CITRUS SPORTS
Florida Citrus Sports is a not-for-profit event management organization dedicated to positively impacting the Orlando region while enhancing the quality of life in Central Florida through world-class events, including the Camping World Kickoff, the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, the Pop-Tarts Bowl, the Florida Blue Florida Classic and the Florida Cup & FC Series. For more information, visit FloridaCitrusSports.com.
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,100 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.
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2024 FWAA All-America Committee
Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle (Chair)
Frank Bonner, Daily Memphian
Travis Brown, KBTX.com
Ken Capps, Freelance
Angelique Chengelis, Detroit News
Brett Ciancia, Pick Six Previews
Scott Dochterman, The Athletic
Bryan Fischer, FOX Sports
John Hoover, All Sooners
Mike Huguenin, Freelance
Shehan Jeyarajah, CBS Sports
Emily Leiker, Syracuse.com
Ben Portnoy, Sports Business Journal
Sean Reider, Albuquerque Journal
Tony Siracusa, Last Word on College Football
Phil Steele, Phil Steele Magazine
Dusty Thibodeaux, Rivals: Warhawk Report
John Wagner, Country News Review (Minn.)
Jon Wilner, Bay Area News Group