EUGENE, Ore. – After leading Oregon on the go-ahead drive, Dillon Gabriel sat on the Ducks’ bench with his headphones on, barely able to look up as the final seconds ticked away as Ohio State drove.

A few minutes later, the Oregon quarterback emerged from the victorious locker room dancing and taking it all in with the fans storming the field. He ended the evening by singing during his post-match press conference.

In his first major game since transferring to Oregon during the offseason, Gabriel performed well as his third-ranked Ducks earned a thrilling 32-31 win over the second-ranked Buckeyes on Saturday.

“We all knew we were going to have a dogfight with two heavyweights going at it,” Gabriel said. “That’s what college football is all about.”

Few active players know more about college football than Gabriel, who entered his 55th career on Saturday. Gabriel, who previously played for UCF and Oklahoma, opened the season as the Heisman betting favorite. After a slow start, he emphatically added his name to the Heisman conversation again with a sparkling performance in a Big Ten showdown against the Buckeyes.

Gabriel completed 23 of 34 passes for 341 yards and two touchdowns. He also scored the final touchdown of the game, rushing for 27 yards on a beautiful fake handoff that fooled the Ohio State defense in the fourth quarter.

With that score, Gabriel became the first FBS player to pass for 125 touchdowns and rush for another 30 in his career.

“Every time I looked at his eyes tonight, I saw a man who was calm and ready for his next moment,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “He played really well tonight and had some really big moments.”

The biggest moment came on Oregon’s final drive. The Ducks trailed 31-29 with six minutes to play. But Gabriel completed all five of his passes for 41 yards. The drive finally stopped at the Ohio State 1-yard line. But Atticus Sappington hit a 19-yard field goal to give the Ducks the lead with 1:47 to play.

Ohio State had a chance to win the game by marching the ball to the Oregon 28. But freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith was flagged for offensive pass interference, pushing the Buckeyes out of field goal range. On the final play, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard scrambled down the middle of the field and instead of making a shot, slid into the end zone as time expired and Oregon students and fans began pouring onto the field.

“(Gabriel) showed toughness,” said Oregon receiver Tez Johnson, who hauled in a 48-yard touchdown from Gabriel on third-and-9 late in the second quarter to give the Ducks a 22-21 halftime lead. “He went out against a top-two opponent and beat them. That shows a lot. … The poise he had the entire game was unbelievable.”

The last time an AP top-three game was decided by a point was in 1991, when No. 2 Miami defeated No. 1 Florida State 17-16, according to ESPN Research. The Hurricanes won the national championship that season.

Oregon’s win over Ohio State put the Ducks (6-0) in pole position in the Big Ten title and playoff races. The Ducks are one of three Big Ten teams to remain undefeated, joining Penn State and Indiana. However, they do not meet in the regular competition either.

Gabriel noted that Oregon still has a lot of season left and a long way to go to achieve its goals. But when asked about his journey from Orlando, Florida, to Norman, Oklahoma, to Eugene, and whether this win was his most satisfying yet, he began singing the words “coast to coast” before stopping to wait to the rest of the question.

“I learned a lot at every stop and, more importantly, who I am as a person,” he said. “At this point in my career, I just appreciate where I am. … I’ve loved every part of it.”

As Gabriel returned from the locker room to the crowd of fans waiting for him on the field just outside the tunnel, he spread his arms wide open and took in the moment. He grabbed an oversized Oregon hat from a fan and placed it on his head.

Gabriel then turned around and hugged the coaches and teammates before slipping back into the locker room, where the celebration continued.

“When you win against a great opponent, you enjoy it for that time,” Gabriel said. “Winning is fun. There’s a lot of joy in winning. … But we know it’s just a step in the right direction. Tomorrow we have to wake up and start earning it.”