The Oregon Ducks season is far from over, but on Saturday they shut the door on a perfect 12-0 season. This year’s Oregon team has been spectacular across the field, but quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been so key to the Ducks’ success. On Tuesday, he was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Quarterback of the Year.
Gabriel’s 12 games this season have been fantastic. The Ducks’ veteran QB has passed for 3,275 yards, 24 TDs, and six interceptions this season, while also rushing for 175 yards and seven TDs. With at least two more games to go, Gabriel’s numbers are sure to keep flying up.
While Gabriel is a first-time Oregon Duck, 2024 is his sixth season playing college football. He spent his first three seasons at UCF, redshirting once, before transferring to Oklahoma. Gabriel then played two quality seasons as a Sooner, especially in 2023, before transferring to Oregon almost a year ago.
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Gabriel’s elite season and career have put his name atop some historic lists in college football. His 183 career TDs responsible for (31 of which have come this season) are the most all-time, and he is just six passing TDs shy of Case Keenum’s record. Gabriel also has accumulated 18,140 passing yards, which is second all-time, just 1,077 behind Keenum.
The Ducks are guaranteed just two more games, but assuming they play three (winning at least one College Football Playoff Game), Gabriel is on track to tie Keenum’s passing TD record and fall short of his yardage record by less than 300 yards.
Oregon doesn’t have an easy task this week, taking on Penn State in Indianapolis, and things will only get trickier after this game. The Ducks are well equipped to take on the College Football Playoff gauntlet, and Gabriel, who last week was named a finalist for this Davy O’Brien Award (Best College QB) is a big reason why.
Oregon has their best shot in a long time to win a national championship, and Dillon Gabriel could just be the man that takes them there.