In 2023, the Oregon offense was led by quarterback Bo Nix and wide receiver Troy Franklin. One year later, the former Ducks are still together but for the Denver Broncos.
In the rookies' first-ever postseason game in the NFL, Nix connected with Frankling for a massive touchdown pass to get the Broncos on the board and give their team a 7-0 lead over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card matchup.
The @oregonfootball rookie connection gets the @Broncos on the board 🦆 pic.twitter.com/nAHRdNEWtC
— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2025
The 43-yard touchdown connection was perfect – and it was something that Duck fans had seen a few times before when the two stars lit up the field for Oregon. Immediately, Oregon fans, Denver fans, and football fans in general blew up social media after the deep connection.
THE @oregonfootball CONNECTION‼️
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) January 12, 2025
On the opening drive, Nix went 2-for-2 to earn 62 yards through the air and the first touchdown of the game. The rookie's collegiate experience seemingly paid off during his first season in the league as no moment was too big for the former Duck.
Throughout the regular season, Nix amassed 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns through the air. While he isn't necessarily considered a dual-threat quarterback, he also earned 430 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground for Denver.
Franklin, who earned the sixth-most receiving yards on the team, earned 263 yards and 2 touchdowns on the way to the Wild Card matchup.
In 2023, Franklin led the Ducks in receiving yards and touchdowns through the air, almost all of his stats coming off of passes from Nix. However, he wasn't selected by Denver until the fourth round as the 102nd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Nix, who was one of nearly a dozen quarterbacks drafted, was taken 12th overall by the Broncos.
CBS commentator and former NFL quarterback Tony Romo had nothing but good things to say about Nix following the impressive touchdown pass.