Oregon Ducks Quarterback Dillon Gabriel On Avoiding Wisconsin Upset: 'Unselfish' Team

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel reacts to the the 16-13 comeback win over the Wisconsin Badgers on the road. Gabriel did not throw a touchdown for the first time all season but did enough to get the win.

Nov 16, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The No. 1 Oregon Ducks narrowly avoided an upset on the road as the Wisconsin Badgers took them to the wire, but the Ducks would prevail in a 16-13 thriller at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday night.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel had his worst game of the season in the narrow win over the Badgers. Gabriel didn't throw for a touchdown for the first time all season, but completed 22-of-31 passes for 218 yards and an interception. The Ducks quarterback also rushed 11 times for seven yards.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) is pressured by Wisconsin linebacker Aaron Witt (59) during the first quarter of their game Saturday, November 16, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ducks survived their biggest scare of the season since their 32-31 win over Ohio State on Oct. 12. Gabriel said after the game in his post game press conference that everything came together in the end for Oregon to come out on top.

"It's hard to win. And big time plays need to happen in big moments," Gabriel said. "And I thought a lot of our players did make those things happen, you know, as a fourth down stop by the defense. Atticus [Sappington} with big kicks and being perfect in that situation, and then when we needed it on O, I thought we did a good job of going and getting it. But still, like I said, could help ourselves and set field goals getting, you know, points more than, plus four on that."

"But I think in general, winning games are hard, and when you have a team that knows how to win and doesn't second guess anything, I think that speaks volume on just the guys we have in our building," continued Gabriel.

Nov 16, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) drops back to pass during the first quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Oregon offense went scoreless through the second and third quarter as they struggled mightily at times through the air, something that Gabriel attributed to third down inefficiencies and negative plays.

 "I thought we moved the ball really well early. Thought we had some good things going early. And getting the first first [down], and moving it that way, but just struggled sometimes in third downs and then taking negatives on my end. So all that doesn't help in playing efficient," Gabriel said. "But I think you look at certain drives when we needed it, I thought we played really well. But yeah, just got to clean that stuff up."

Gabriel added that it took a total collective team effort in the comeback win for the Ducks.

"Just a bunch of guys who played a bunch of football and know what it takes to win," Gabriel said. "It's not easy, like I said, being in this situation, one more game, it's just hard to do."

Oregon's streak of nine straight games scoring 30 or more points was snapped by the Badgers. A positive note, Gabriel made his 60th career start, most among active FBS quarterbacks and one away from former Duck Bo Nix’s FBS record for starts by a quarterback.

"Find a way," Gabriel said during the postgame broadcast on FOX. "Whatever it takes. We had a bunch of unselfish players that want to win. It didn’t look the way maybe people thought it would, but that ‘W’ on the scoreboard is all that matters."

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