COLUMBUS, OHIO — C.J. Verdell ran for 161 yards and had three touchdowns, and No. 12 Oregon exploited a porous Ohio State defense to upset the No. 3 Buckeyes 35-28, handing them their first regular-season loss in nearly three years. Ohio State (1-1) never led the game it was favored to win by 14½ points despite gaudy numbers from freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud. Its front seven struggled to contain Verdell, control the edge and get after Ducks quarterback Anthony Brown in front. Advertisement “They quickly adapted and just played with grit and toughness, knowing this was going to be a slugfest,” Oregon coach Mario Cristobal said. The Ducks (2-0) were without star defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux and linebacker Justin Flowe. Advertisement The Buckeyes had a chance to tie it late after pulling within a touchdown with 7 minutes, 55 seconds left. But when they got the ball again, Stroud, who…
Continue Reading: No. 3 Ohio State suffers its 1st regular-season loss in nearly 3 years, falling to No. 12 Oregon 35-28
