Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel moved to No. 2 all-time on the passing and passing touchdown lists after a dominant first half against Illinois. Gabriel threw his 143rd career touchdown pass and passed 17,100 yards against the Illini.
Gabriel connected with Noah Whittington on a 2-yard touchdown, his third of the half to take a 35-3 lead at halftime. The pass moved him past Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore. He also passed Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang to reach No. 2 on the passing yards list.
In both marks, he still trails hyper-productive quarterback Case Keenum of Houston, who left college as the all-time leader in completions, yards and passing touchdowns. Keenum threw for 19,217 yards and 155 touchdowns, leaving him within striking range if Gabriel can lead Oregon on a long College Football Playoff run.
Granted, Gabriel's six years in college football -- thanks to the augmented redshirt rule and pandemic eligibility waiver -- gives him a slight advantage. He is still playing in his 58th college football game, while Keenum played in 57.
Gabriel is on his third school after previously starring at both UCF and Oklahoma. Heading into Week 9, the senior was completing 77% of his passes for 2,080 yards, 15 touchdowns and only four interceptions heading into the matchup against Illinois.
