Dillon Gabriel set an NCAA record with his 179th career touchdown and No. 1 Oregon shook off a slow start to defeat Maryland 39-18 on Saturday in Eugene, Ore.
Gabriel was 23 for 34 for 183 yards passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions for the Ducks (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten), who led 14-10 before scoring 25 of the game’s final 33 points.
His record-setting touchdown came on a 3-yard toss to left tackle Gernorris Wilson that put Oregon up 29-10 midway through the third quarter.
Gabriel surpassed former Houston quarterback Case Keenum, who accounted for 155 passing touchdowns and 23 rushing scores for the Cougars from 2007-11.
Billy Edwards Jr. completed 22 for 44 passes for 206 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Terrapins (4-5, 1-5), who have lost two straight games.
Jordan James ran up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown to give Oregon the lead for good, 7-3, with 2:21 to play in the first quarter. The score was set up by a 26-yard pass from Gabriel to James one play after the Ducks converted a fourth-and-1.
Oregon made it 14-3 early in the second quarter with a defensive touchdown. Defensive lineman Jordan Burch stripped the ball from Edwards and Brandon Johnson returned the fumble 62 yards.
Maryland made it 14-10 on Roman Hemby’s 1-yard touchdown run, which capped off a nine-play drive with 3:17 left in the first half.
That left enough time for Gabriel to engineer a 12-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with a 9-yard scoring pass to tight end Terrance Ferguson 20 seconds before halftime.
Oregon used a fake punt to extend its lead in the third quarter. Facing fourth-and-3 at its own 22-yard line, Burch took the direct snap on a fake punt and rumbled 36 yards.
Five plays later, Gabriel tossed his record-setting touchdown and Josh Conerly Jr. ran in the two-point conversion to make it 29-10.
The Terrapins took advantage of several Ducks defensive penalties to sustain drives. They pulled within 29-18 on Octavian Smith’s 3-yard touchdown reception and Edwards’ run on a two-point conversion with 11:27 left in the fourth quarter, but got no closer.
Atticus Sappington hit a 20-yard field goal with 5:47 left before Gabriel found Evan Stewart for a 17-yard score with 3:45 to go.
–Field Level Media
