EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Oregon is clearly still trying to find an identity.
For the second straight week the Ducks struggled, but ultimately prevailed. Atticus Sappington kicked a 25-yard field goal as time expired to give No. 7 Oregon a 37-34 victory over resilient Boise State on Saturday night.
Dillon Gabriel threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns for the Ducks (2-0), who trailed the Broncos (1-1) with 10 minutes left.
Last week, Oregon beat Idaho 24-14, another game that was closer than expected.
“As a team that’s finding our identity together, I think you see a bunch of guys being more and more connected as the weeks go on, through practice, through games,” Gabriel said. “And then you go through adversity and you find a way to win.”
Ashton Jeanty ran for 192 yards and three touchdowns for Boise State, which went into the game as 18 1/2-point underdogs but nearly pulled off the upset.
The Broncos (1-1) went back ahead 34-27 early in the fourth quarter on Jeanty’s 8-yard scoring run, but Noah Whittington had a 99-yard kickoff return that ended with Jayden Limar’s recovery in the end zone to tie it 16 seconds later.
Despite the struggles, Oregon extended its nonconference home winning streak to 34 games, best nationally among active teams.
“I have a sense of relief because of the result,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “But, try to focus on the process, and there’s a lot of things I think we can go and attack and fix. And there’s certainly some things to fix, right? There’s certainly some things to improve.”
Boise State took the early lead with Jonah Dalmas’ first-quarter field goal. Oregon’s offense sputtered at the start, but Gabriel hit Evan Stewart with a 67-yard pass and then scored on a keeper.
Jeanty ran for a 3-yard TD early in the second quarter before Dillon hit Stewart with a 34-yard scoring pass to give Oregon a 14-10 edge.
The Broncos went ahead on Maddux Madsen’s 17-yard TD pass to Cameron Camper. They added a 20-yard field goal to lead 20-14 at halftime.
The Ducks were ranked No. 3 in the AP Top 25 heading into the season, but dropped to No. 7 after an underwhelming 24-14 victory over Idaho in the opener.
Issues on the Ducks’ offensive line appeared to continue against Boise State. Gabriel was sacked four times in the first half alone, including on Oregon’s first series. The line was shuffled several times during the game.
Boise State safety Alexander Teubner was ejected for targeting early in the third quarter. On the same drive, Gabriel passed to Traeshon Holden, who sprinted downfield untouched for a 59-yard TD. Oregon missed the extra point, knotting the score at 20.
Tez Johnson had an 85-yard punt return to give the Ducks a 27-20 lead, but Jeanty tied it up again with a 70-yard touchdown dash early in the fourth quarter after Boise State recovered an Oregon fumble.
Last season Jeanty scored 19 touchdowns (14 via receptions and five on the run) and averaged 159.7 all-purpose yards per game, second in the nation. He ran for 267 yards and six touchdowns, both school records, in Boise State’s season-opening victory over Georgia Southern.
Jeanty’s 8-yard run put Boise State briefly in front with 10:15 to play before Limar’s TD recovery tied it.
“I’m proud of our team,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said. “We didn’t finish the way we need to, we need to find a way to win that game. We’re going to look at it, learn and grow from it, and we’re going to be a better football team because of what we went through tonight.”
The Broncos had won the three previous meetings with Oregon with the last of those games coming in 2017.
The takeaway
Boise State: Boise State was picked in the preseason to finish atop the Mountain West Conference, and the team certainly held its own against the Ducks. ... Offensive lineman Roger Carreon injured his left leg in the first quarter and was carted off the field. ... The Broncos have never defeated a Big Ten team.
Oregon: The Ducks went into the game as 18 1/2-point favorites according to BetMGM sportsbook. ... James Jordan ran for 102 yards on 17 carries ... Stewart had five catches for 112 yards and a TD. ... Former Duck Payton Pritchard, who won an NBA title with the Boston Celtics, was among those at the game.
Up next
Boise State: Hosts Portland State on Saturday, Sept. 21.
Oregon: At Oregon State on Saturday.
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