Oregon achieved a convincing 31-10 victory over Michigan State on Friday night, but the performance of Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel drew some criticism. Gabriel posted a respectable stat line with 257 yards and two touchdown passes but also threw two interceptions in the red zone. Following the game, Oregon coach Dan Lanning praised his quarterback for handling adversity, stating, “He’s a stud. At quarterback in college football, you’re going to face some challenges. He experienced some of that today. You need to adapt to those moments, and he stepped up tonight.”
However, not everyone shared Lanning’s view, with some fans expressing concerns about Gabriel’s performance. One fan remarked, “He’s really not as advertised,” suggesting that he believed Bo Nix, the previous quarterback, was overrated yet appeared significantly better than Gabriel. Gabriel, a seasoned college quarterback who transferred to Oregon from Oklahoma this offseason and has played 54 games, faces scrutiny despite the Ducks being ranked No. 6 and holding a 5-0 record. Their schedule includes narrow victories against unranked teams like Boise State and Idaho.
Another fan commented, “Oregon is the biggest fraud ever this year lol,” in reaction to Lanning’s remarks. Gabriel acknowledged after the game that he sometimes becomes too eager in the red zone, saying, “At times my eyes get bigger than my stomach in the red zone. In close games where you need to score every time, those mistakes can’t happen.”
Gabriel and the Ducks will face Ohio State next week in a significant matchup that will require them to minimize errors.
