Dillon Gabriel voices support for Oregon wide receiver Traeshon Holden
By Sam Fariss
Traeshon Holden returned to his best form against the Michigan Wolverines after being ejected from the Ohio State matchup and serving a one-game suspension against Purdue. Against Michigan, with the Illinois matchup already under his belt, the Oregon wide receiver shined brightly.
Against the Wolverines, Holden earned an incredible 6 receptions for 149 yards, which led the Ducks in the matchup.
When Oregon hosted the OSU Buckeyes, Holden spit on defensive back Davison Igbinosun, which is why he was ejected from the game. He then angrily threw his helmet to the ground as he walked out of the stadium and through the tunnel, still in view of the cameras.
Head coach Dan Lanning shared that Holden would serve a one-game suspension due to internal punishments for his actions in the Big Ten game. After missing the game against the Purdue Boilermakers, Holden was ready to come back.
In Week 9 against Illinois, Holden only had 2 catches for a minimal 7 yards. Clearly, the WR was ready to get back to work and his teammates, especially Gabriel, have backed up their man. After the game, Gabriel shared words of pride, support, and encouragement about his wide receiver.
"The way he's practiced, even these past two weeks, it's different, and I respect him for it," Gabriel said. "I'm extremely proud of him, I told him that, but got a bunch of belief in him as a player and a person... You just look a guy that week, and then you look at him now, he's worked his butt off to get to this point."
Gabriel continued to talk about his love for Holden as the postgame press conference carried on. Before even leaving the field, Gabriel was asked what he thought about the receiver's game and he repeatedly said how proud he is of Holden.
Also read: Dillon Gabriel and Dan Lanning are filled with pride and love after Oregon-Michigan game
Oregon, Gabriel, and Holden take on Maryland next weekend. The Ducks and the Terrapins are scheduled to kickoff from Autzen Stadium at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on the Big Ten Network.