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Ohio State defensive back Denzel Burke, right, breaks a pass intended for Oregon wide receiver Kris Hutson during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, September 11, 2021 in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo / Jay LaPrète)
COLUMBUS – CJ Verdell ran for 161 yards and hit three touchdowns as the shorthanded No.12 Oregon exploited a porous Ohio State defense to upset the No.3 Buckeyes 35-28 for their first regular season loss in nearly three years.
Ohio State (1-1, 1-0 Big Ten) never led the game he was favorite to win by 14 1/2 points despite the screaming numbers from freshman quarterback CJ Stroud. His first seven struggled to contain Verdell, control the advantage and take the lead over Ducks quarterback Anthony Brown.
“They adapted quickly and just played with courage and tenacity knowing it was going to be a slugfest,” said Oregon coach Mario Cristobal.
The Ducks (2-0, 2-0 Pac-12) were without star defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux and linebacker Justin Flowe.
The Buckeyes were fortunate enough to equalize late after hitting a touchdown with 7:55 to go. But when they got the ball again, Stroud, who had 472 yards and three touchdowns, took his first sack of the day, then was intercepted by Verone McKinley III on a desperate pass on the third and -18 to Oregon 35 with 2h50 to pass a stunned crowd of over 100,000 people.
Stroud, trying to show he’s a worthy heir to Justin Fields, is likely to be fine. It is the defense of the state of Ohio that needs work.
On two occasions in the first half, Verdell rushed around the left end – one of them was a pitch pass on the fourth and the 1 – and remained intact in the end zone at 14 meters. Travis Dye exploited the left side again, running 5 yards to give the Ducks a 28-14 lead in the third quarter.
Three games in the second half, Verdell blew up the midfield defensive backs intact and passed for a score of 77 yards. He went left again for a 7-yard gain and a first down in the fourth quarter, a play before Brown hooked up to Moliki Matavao for a 14-yard touchdown to give the Ducks a 35-21 lead with 12: 46 to play.
Stroud, on his second start, passed for the second-most yards in Ohio State history, just 15 short of Dwayne Haskins Jr.’s 499 against Northwestern in 2018.
Stroud’s success was in part due to brilliant catches from receivers Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Jaxson Smith-Njigba. He was 33 for 54 and connected for two touchdowns with Smith-Njigba and another with Wilson.
It was the first loss for third-year Ohio State coach Ryan Day in the regular season. The Buckeyes’ last regular season loss came at Purdue in October 2018 under Urban Meyer.
“It’s not fatal,” Day said. “Sure, it hurts. “
Take it away
Oregon: The Ducks were better than they showed in their first game when they struggled with Fresno State. Brown made smart decisions; the 5-foot-8, 211-pound Verdell, who suffered injuries the past two seasons, had an exceptional day; and the O line controlled the line of scrimmage.
Ohio State: Stroud is good at finding his star receivers and throwing shots, but he’s still comfortable with decision-making. He could be the Buckeyes’ next offensive star in a long line. But the defense needs to be improved, especially the linebackers. This loss is squarely on their shoulders.
SURVEY IMPLICATIONS
Ohio State is likely to suffer a significant drop as the Ducks enter the top 10.
FOLLOWING
Oregon: Comes home to face FCS Stony Brook from the Colonial Athletic Association.
Ohio State: Host Tulsa, who lost 19-17 to UC-Davis in Week 1 and was beaten by Oklahoma State 28-23 on Saturday.
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