EUGENE — Being an offensive lineman sucks.

You sustain the most injuries, take the most head hits, sweat (a lot), grind, crouch, twist, push and slam. And you’re usually only talked about when you’re not playing well.

The big ugly ones, as they say.

This is why the joy of a Big Man Touchdown is so universally shared and so quick to become a viral moment.

No. 1 Oregon Ducks I spent a Saturday at an ugly victory against Marylandwith a Big Man Two Piece (working title) to boot. Gernorris Wilson carried a record touchdown by Dillon Gabriel and Josh Conerly Jr. drove him in for two.

“It wasn’t just a moment for me,” Wilson said. “Honestly, it was for the whole O-line. It was for all the big men.” It was definitely a special moment.

Wilson ceded the spotlight to Gabriel, of course, given that the pass put the Heisman-contending Oregon quarterback first all-time in FBS for career touchdowns. Each player said the other should receive the ball. Ultimately, this could end up in the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

But the glory of Wilson’s touchdown remains forever etched in the minds of many offensive linemen, most of whom only dream of such a moment. The redshirt freshman from Lakeland, Fla., said he’s never caught a pass in a football game before, let alone a touchdown.

Conerly doesn’t have to dream of the end zone: His straight two-point game had been “oiled for a while,” he said, and it played out like it did in practice. And, as a freshman in 2022, Conerly scored his own touchdown against Colorado.

“It was better than mine,” Conerly said of Wilson’s touchdown. “And he had a cell phone too? It was certainly much better than mine, but the legacy lives on.

The touchdown play was a long time coming for Wilson, who said he expected it to come last week on the road at Michigan. Big Man at the Big House would have written itself.

“We’ve been planning this game for a little minute now, so I’ve had a lot of time to prepare and get things going,” Wilson said. “I didn’t really believe this was going to happen, seriously. I thought this would happen a minute ago, but it didn’t. I was just happy to have this experience, to have the chance to do it.

“But, man, I didn’t think I was going to figure that out there.” (Laughs) I thought it was over my head. But you have to call God. I called him and he answered prayers.

But why did Wilson, among 23 offensive linemen on Oregon’s full team, make the biggest of the big plays?

“Testament to hard work,” Wilson said. To his right, tight end Terrance Ferguson raised his eyebrows and nodded respectfully.

Next game: No. 1 Oregon (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) at Wisconsin (5-4, 3-3)

• When: Saturday November 16
• Time: 4:30 p.m. (Pacific Time)
• Or: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
• TV channel: BNC
• Flow: You can watch this match live for FREE with Fubo (free trial) or sign up for Peacock Premium ($7.99/month). You can also get this game on DirecTV Stream (free trial). Or watch live on NBC Live if you already have cable or satellite provider login information.
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— Ryan Clarke covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten Conference. Listen to it Confidential ducks podcast or subscribe to Ducks Roundup Newsletter.