College Football

CJ Verdell and the Oregon Ducks run roughshod on Ohio State's defense

Updated Sep. 11, 2021 9:33 p.m. ET

"Every day is a reckoning."

Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal's daily mantra proved to be a perfect summation of what took place in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday afternoon.

Despite missing two of their biggest x-factors on defense, the No. 12 Ducks reckoned that they could venture into enemy territory and escape with a victory.

They did just that.

On the losing side of the affair, Ohio State's No. 3-ranked Buckeyes will have to undergo their own reckoning: a close examination of the mirror as they try to sop up the smears left behind from an agonizing loss and claw their way back into College Football Playoff contention.

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For now, though, the Ducks are the story of the day, and their win sprung from a combination of clever offensive schemes, big plays from their defense, and CJ Verdell's heroics as a one-man yard-chewing machine.

Here's how they pulled off the upset.

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Oregon entered the matchup as underdogs based on ranking alone, but Ohio State's projected advantage was heightened after Cristobal announced that defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux and linebacker Justin Flowe would be sidelined for the game. Thibodeaux, a 2020 first-team All Pac-12 honoree, and Flowe, a former five-star recruit, are both highly touted pro prospects and game-changing playmakers for Oregon's defense.

But the Ducks held their own despite being shorthanded. They limited Ohio State to just one touchdown in their first six drives, forcing QB C.J. Stroud out of the pocket to make several difficult throws on the run, and preventing pervasive damage from Buckeye backs in the ground game. The unit also came up huge on two fourth-down stops in the first half.

Meanwhile, Verdell absolutely torched Ohio State's defense on the ground. Oregon offensive coordinator Joe Moorehead was more than familiar with his opponent heading into the matchup (he was a former OC for Penn State), and he took advantage of just about every weakness he could find.

Verdell broke the game's scoring drought early in the second quarter with a speedy scamper to the left side, before scoring on a nearly identical look with 4:57 to go in the second.

The TD would put his Ducks up 14-7, and they'd take that advantage into halftime.

Ohio State began to step into some rhythm after halftime.

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But for every scoring drive the Buckeyes were able to muster, the Ducks raised them another to stay ahead.

Verdell continued his onslaught of roaring rumbles with a 77-yard scorcher early in the third, before Travis Dye (who finished with 43 yards on eight carries) got in on the scoring party in response to an Ohio State TD to push Oregon to a 28-14 lead.

Oregon's strategy on the play was strikingly similar to the team's first two rushing TDs. The Ducks lined up with one receiver to the left, who shaded inside for a crackback block on the linebacker, while junior right guard Ryan Walk pulled left as a lead blocker, creating enormous space for Dye to sneak into the end zone.

Ohio State would score to make it a one-possession game at 28-21, but Oregon continued to target the left side of the field on offense, scoring on a dime from QB Anthony Brown to Moliki Matavao.

Brown (17-for-35, 236 yards, 2 TDs) and Verdell (20 carries, 161 yards, 2 TDs) were the key cogs in the engine. Brown's combination of speed, moxie and decision-making (coach Cristobal praised his "next-level" IQ), and Verdell's pure skill were far too much for Ohio State's D, and it showed.

Oregon blasted the Buckeyes for 269 total yards on the ground.

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Ohio State did manage to punch back with another haymaker to pull within 35-28, but with just more than two minutes to play, Oregon's defense again rose to the occasion:

Have yourself a day, Verone McKinley III.

The takeaway would be the figurative dagger right into the center of Ohio State's "O", deflating its hopes for a successful home opener.

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For Oregon, the statement couldn't have been clearer: we are HERE.

It's the Ducks' first road win against a top-five team since 2011 – the year former Heisman trophy winner Marcus Mariota arrived in Eugene.

Oregon football has struggled to remain consistent in recent years, but this victory should elevate Cristobal and Co. in the national conversation.

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