No. 1 Indiana leaves no doubt as Hoosiers bury mistake-plagued Oregon

No. 1 Indiana still had doubters after winning its first 14 games of the college football season, but not after Friday night’s dominant Peach Bowl performance that put the Hoosiers on the doorstep of a national title.

Indiana pounced on Oregon’s first-half mistakes, rolling the No. 5 Ducks 56-22 in a College Football Playoff semifinal in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The 56 points is the most allowed by Oregon in its 41-game postseason history. It is the most points the Ducks have yielded since Washington produced 70 in a win over Oregon in 2016.

Oregon found itself backpedaling from the outset, starting with an Indiana pick -six on the game’s first offensive play. The Hoosiers went on to score touchdowns on five consecutive possessions, four during the first half.

The Ducks, looking for their third College Football Playoff Championship game appearance in school history, instead heads into another offseason off an embarrassing playoff performance. A year ago, Ohio State ended Oregon’s season with a 41-21 Rose Bowl rout.

Indiana (15-0) advances to the CFP Championship game, where it’ll face Miami (13-2) on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Oregon (13-2) posted the school’s third 13-win season, joining the 2014 and 2024 teams. Both losses this season came to Indiana, by double-digit margins.

With Oregon plagued by injuries to its running back position, the Ducks figured to lean on quarterback Dante Moore. The third-year sophomore wasn’t up to the challenge, as he committed three first-half turnovers, including two fumbles. Moore passed for 285 yards and two touchdowns.

The Ducks defense, coming off an Orange Bowl shutout over Texas Tech, did little to slow down the Hoosiers. Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw for 177 yards and five touchdowns. Indiana’s offense had a modest amount of yardage with 362, but didn’t need much as the Ducks set up the Hoosiers with several short fields.

Despite a mistake by Moore, the game’s early minutes gave hope of a competitive game. Indiana took a 7-0 lead on the game’s first offensive play when D’Angelo Ponds stepped in front of receiver Malik Benson and took an interception 25 yards to the end zone.

Oregon countered that setback with one of its best drives of the season. The Ducks marched 75 yards on 14 plays, tying the score at 7-all when Moore hit Jeremiah Johnson with a 19-yard touchdown pass.

Indiana’s offense, sidelined for the first eight minutes of the game, didn’t take long to impress. Mendoza capped an 11-play drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr. for 14-7 Indiana lead late in the first quarter.

The Hoosiers scored three second-quarter touchdowns, two all but gifted by Moore fumbles. The first one near the shadow of Oregon’s end zone when Moore, cocking his arm while attempting a pass, grazed the shoulder of teammate Dierre Hill Jr. with the ball. It was enough to dislodge the ball and cause a fumble, giving the Hoosiers the ball at the UO 3. Two plays later, Kaelon Black busted up the middle for a 1-yard touchdown run and a 21-7 Hoosiers lead.

Mendoza was a tour de force on Indiana’s next scoring drive, throwing four consecutive completions, capped by a 36-yard pass to Charlie Becker in the end zone.

The Hoosiers weren’t finished. Indiana’s pass rush forced another Moore fumble at the Oregon 21. Mendoza needed six plays to pilot the Hoosiers into the end zone, throwing a 2-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt.

Indiana added to its 35-7 halftime lead on the first drive of the third quarter. Mendoza threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game, a 13-yarder to E.J. Williams Jr.

Oregon responded with its most explosive play of the game, a 71-yard run by Hill. Harris finished the drive with a 2-yard run into the end zone. A two-point conversion trimmed the deficit to 42-13.

The Ducks weren’t finished with crippling mistakes. Early in the fourth quarter, Indiana’s Daniel Ndukwe shot through a gap and blocked the punt of James Ferguson-Reynolds. The Hoosiers, faced with another short field, took two plays to finish a 7-yard drive, as Mendoza threw his fifth touchdown pass of the game for a 49-15 lead.

Indiana tacked on another score during the final minutes on a 23-yard touchdown run by Black.