ANN ARBOR >> Oregon, the nation’s No. 1-ranked team, was too much of everything for Michigan, shorthanded in its defensive backfield, inconsistent on offense and outcoached.

The Ducks, two-touchdown favorites, defeated Michigan, 38-17, on Saturday at Michigan Stadium. Oregon is 9-0, 6-0 Big Ten and Michigan is 5-4, 3-3 and plays at unbeaten Indiana next Saturday. The defending national champion Wolverines have three remaining regular-season games to get a win to be bowl eligible.

Oregon put the finishing touches on the game with a 90-yard, 11-play scoring drive in the nearly seven minutes as James Jordan scored on a 2-yard run with 25 seconds left. Jordan finished with 117 yards on 23 carries.

Michigan played without starting cornerbacks Will Johnson and Jyaire Hill, both out with injuries. Johnson has missed the last two games and most of the game at Illinois, and this was the first time Hill has not played. The Ducks entered the game ranked 11th in total offense (467.1 yards) and had 470 yards.The Ducks didn’t miss a beat without leading receiver Tez Johnson who was injured on third play of game after an 11-yard reception. He entered the game leading the team and ranked second in the Big Ten in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel was 22-of-34 for 294 yards and a touchdown. Traeshon Holden led he team with six catches for 149 yards.

Michigan quarterback Davis Warren was 12-of-21 for 164 yards and two touchdowns, to Peyton O’Leary and Tyler Morris. Tight end Colston Loveland had seven catches for 112 yards, Morris has 38 yards on three catches, and Donovan Edwards was the leading rusher with 10 carries for 52 yards.

Michigan, trailing 28-10, cut the lead to 11 on its opening possession of the second half. Big pass plays from Warren to Loveland of 34 and 20 yards and a key third-down conversion on a 12-yard pass to Tyler Morris put the Wolverines deep in Oregon territory. Peyton O’Leary caught a 6-yard pass in the end zone to make it 28-17.

The Wolverines defense looked to be headed to the sideline for a breather after Makari Paige broke up a pass on third down. But on the punt formation, Michigan’s Trey Pierce was penalized for illegal formation giving the Ducks first down. They would build a 31-17 lead on a 26-yard field goal.

Late in the fourth quarter, Michigan reached the Oregon 10-yard line in a drive that included a 19-yard pass to Morris on third and 12, a 16-yard run by Donovan Edwards and a 26-yard run from backup quarterback Alex Orji. But there was a questionable play-call sequence and on fourth and 5 at the 10, Orji pitched to Semaj Morgan who threw incomplete to Orji in the end zone. Orji hit a television camera at the end of the play but didn’t appear injured.

Oregon scored touchdowns on four of its five possessions in the first half and built a 28-10 halftime lead. The Wolverines had a touchdown off a special teams turnover and tied the score 7-7 in the first quarter, but Oregon outscored Michigan 21-3 in the second, while outgaining the Wolverines 202-77.

The Ducks had 304 first-half yards with five pass plays of 15 yards or more, including receptions of 38 and 44 yards in the second quarter. Gabriel entered the game tied for No. 1 nationally with six passes of 50 yards or more, tied for ninth with 16 of 30-plus yards, and tied for 10th with eight of 40-plus yards

They also had three runs of 10 yards or more, including a 23-yarder. Oregon also had five tackles for loss for 13 yards.

Michigan gained 111 yards in the first half and was 1-of-6 on third down. The Wolverines couldn’t convert on third and long — with three incompletions, a fumble (that Michigan recovered) and an eight-yard completion on 3rd and 13.

Oregon took a 21-7 lead on two Whittington rushing touchdowns, the first from a yard out and the second a 6-yard run that culminated a 94-yard drive. The Ducks scored with 35 seconds left when Gabriel ran 23 yards for the touchdown, his sixth rushing score of the season. It appeared Oregon scored earlier in the drive on an amazing catch in the end zone by Evan Stewart, but an ineligible player downfield negated the score.

The Wolverines had gone three-and-out for their second straight drive to open the game when Tommy Doman’s 50-yard punt was fumbled by Oregon’s Ryan Pellum after a tackle by Joe Taylor. C.J. Charleston recovered for the Wolverines at the Ducks’ 28-yard line. Pellum was filling in for Tez Johnson who was injured early in the game.

Michigan converted on the turnover and tied the score, 7-7, when Warren connected with Tyler Morris for a 7-yard touchdown pass.

The game opened with Michigan going three-and-out, and then Oregon took a 7-0 lead with an efficient 12-play drive featuring four first downs and used 6:26 off the clock. Evan Stewart scored on a 2-yard pass from Gabriel, but based on replays it appeared the officials missed what looked like an incomplete pass — the ball appeared to go through Stewart’s hands and hit the turf but bounced into his hands.