1. Gabriel in Command: For all those fans clamoring for Cam Ward, this was another performance that showed why DG was target #1 in the portal. His experience, command and ability off-script was in full force against Michigan and I think this was his best game as a Duck. Specifically to the off-script point, there were multiple big plays he made outside the pocket, hitting WRs down the field in stride. As a fan, I find myself constantly yelling for him to run when 3-5 yards are there, but he does a great job keeping his eyes down field and creating explosive plays. His throw to Holden on our last drive was a throw that very few college QBs can make. You can tell his comfortability and command of the offense grows each week, and his engagement at the LOS looks more and more like Nix by the game. After losing Tez, his clear security blanket and go-to target, after two plays, he didn’t miss a beat against a talented defense. Scoring 28 points, and over 300 yards in the first half is a heck of a performance. Lastly, I thought you saw the experience piece really shine through in Gabriel’s ability to navigate pressure and push from the most talented DL in the sport. Michigan’s front contains 2-3 1st round picks this coming April, plus another 2-3 quality players. Just as we said against tOSU, players of that caliber are going to win reps, and they definitely got some push and forced Gabrield off platform throughout the game. That said, he moved within the pocket impressively, made a few free runners miss and led this offense to 9-0. 

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2. Run Defense Steps Up: It wasn’t long ago that Oregon teams tended to get pushed around by physical, run-first offenses. This program is far from that. Michigan ran the ball 28 times for 105 yards, and Duck defenders were consistently in the backfield with 7 TFLs. While it was frustrating at times watching them hit passes downfield to their only threat (Loveland), the defensive line again controlled the game at the point of attack.