The Oregon Ducks did the improbable, rebounding from an ugly win over Fresno State in Week 1 to shock the college football world by upsetting No. 3 ranked Ohio State by a score of 35-28 on Saturday morning.
Oregon pulled off the win without their two best defensive players, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Justin Flowe, an incredible accomplishment buoyed by a strong game from just about everyone on the field, although no one was more impactful than our pick for player of the game – running back CJ Verdell.
Verdell got the scoring started with a touchdown early in the second quarter, which capped off a remarkable 99-yard drive and gave the Ducks an early lead.
He scored again about 10 minutes later, this time on a short pass from quarterback Anthony Brown, giving the team a lead heading into halftime.
Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he rattled off an outstanding 77-yard touchdown run right up the middle which gave the Ducks a 21-7 lead.
All told, Verdell finished the game with 20 carries for 161 yards, while tacking on three receptions for 34 yards to give him 195 all purpose yards and three touchdowns.
It was a remarkable performance from one of the most underrated running backs in the nation – as he helped lead this team to one of the biggest wins in school, and Pac-12, history.
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