Oregon Rallies to Defeat Ohio State 41-28 in Columbus

The Oregon Ducks erased a 14-0 deficit to defeat No. 11 Ohio State 41-28 on Saturday at Ohio Stadium. The victory ends the Buckeyes' winning streak and marks the first time the program has lost two consecutive games since 2011. Oregon improves to 6-3 on the season while Ohio State falls to 6-3.

Ohio State built its early lead on two touchdowns by Bo Jackson. He carried the ball 16 yards and then 8 yards to put the Buckeyes up 14-0 late in the first quarter. The score remained static until Gage Hurych kicked a 33-yard field goal for the Ducks early in the second quarter. The teams then traded scores in the final minutes of the half.

Oregon changed the momentum with a successful fake punt on fourth down. Linebacker Teitum Tuioti took the snap and passed the ball 30 yards to Matayo Uiagalelei. The play moved the ball to the Ohio State 39-yard line. Dierre Hill Jr. ran 9 yards for a touchdown six plays later. Tight end Jamari Johnson added a 2-yard touchdown run on a direct snap as time expired to give Oregon a 17-14 lead at halftime.

The Ducks opened the third quarter with a 48-yard rushing touchdown by Hill. He cut right and broke three tackles to extend the lead to 24-14. Quarterback Dylan Raiola connected with Dakorien Moore for an 11-yard pass to the back left corner of the end zone. The catch made the score 31-14 midway through the third quarter. Raiola finished with 257 passing yards and two second-half touchdowns on 25 of 40 completions.

Hill rushed for 75 yards on 13 carries and scored twice. Raiola and Hill combined to put the game out of reach for Ohio State. The Buckeyes trailed 38-14 before scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to narrow the final margin. Running back Brandon Smith finished with 15 yards on a screen pass. Ohio State allowed at least 30 points in consecutive losses for the first time since 1988.

Ohio State quarterback Luke Fahey threw for 360 yards on 36 of 50 attempts. He completed his second start after Julian Sayin was injured in the Oct. 17 win at Indiana. Fahey threw one touchdown and one interception. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith caught seven passes for 133 yards and one score. He was visible on the sideline arguing with coaches and teammates at the start of the fourth quarter.

Coach Dan Lanning credited his players for not flinching when trailing by 14 points. He said the team let it hang and went after the ball to seize momentum. Ryan Day, the Ohio State coach, noted that the team expected to play well from the start but could not stop the momentum shift. Day has lost three regular-season games for the first time in his eight seasons leading the program.

The loss likely dashes Ohio State's hopes for a College Football Playoff berth. The Buckeyes entered the game as the No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25. They are now in danger of dropping out of the Top 25 for the first time since 2011. Oregon hosts Michigan next Saturday. Ohio State hosts Northwestern next Saturday.