ATLANTA — The opening moments of the Peach Bowl quickly set the tone for Oregon’s night, with their quarterback Dante Moore throwing an interception that was promptly returned for a touchdown by Indiana, immediately placing the Ducks on the back foot. This early miscue was only the outset of a series of errors that would plague Oregon throughout the game.
By halftime, Indiana had surged to a commanding 35-7 lead, spurred on by three turnovers from Moore which resulted directly in 21 points for the Hoosiers. With such a lopsided advantage at the break, the game’s outcome was effectively settled before the second half commenced.
Indiana, now 15-0, further asserted their dominance over Oregon, preventing the Ducks from mounting any serious comeback efforts in the College Football Playoff semifinal encounter. The Hoosiers’ emphatic 56-22 triumph secured their spot in the national championship game, where they will face the tenth-seeded Miami Hurricanes.
Reflecting on the defeat, Moore acknowledged the detrimental impact of his turnovers, stating, "First things first: The quarterback has to protect the football. You can't win football games if you're causing turnovers." His performance included two fumbles and the interception returned for a touchdown, highlighting the struggles Oregon faced under pressure.
The Ducks came into the game hoping to capture the nation’s top gridiron honor for the first time in school history but instead were unable to overcome Indiana's stout defense and capitalized offensive opportunities.
Earlier in the season, Oregon had suffered a 30-20 defeat on Indiana's home turf in Eugene. However, Friday’s rematch was far more one-sided. The Hoosiers, fresh off another commanding postseason victory against Alabama in the Rose Bowl, showed resilience and strategic prowess, exploiting every Oregon misstep to expand their lead swiftly.
The opening kickoff from Oregon set them back to their own 20-yard line. On the very first offensive play, Moore attempted a short pass that was intercepted by Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds, who returned it 25 yards for a touchdown just 11 seconds into the contest. This immediate blow forced Oregon to play from behind early, exacerbating pressure on the offense.
Despite this shaky start, Oregon responded with a methodical 75-yard drive spanning 14 plays, including three successful third-down conversions, resulting in a touchdown pass from Moore to Jamari Johnson to level the score briefly. However, that proved to be their only offensive highlight in the first half.
Indiana's offense regained control when Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza engineered a 75-yard drive to retake the lead. Oregon’s problems compounded as Moore, backed near his own end zone, fumbled a short pass attempt after hitting running back Dierre Hill Jr. on the elbow, enabling Indiana to recover the ball and score shortly thereafter.
Another successful 36-yard touchdown connection from Mendoza to Charlie Becker extended Indiana’s advantage to 28-7, placing the Ducks in a precarious position before halftime. Moore’s struggles persisted with a sack-induced fumble recovered by Mario Landino at the Oregon 21, leading to yet another Indiana touchdown.
Oregon's final play of the first half, a 56-yard field goal attempt, fell short, encapsulating their struggles as they headed to the locker room trailing by a significant margin. Coach Dan Lanning conceded Indiana's quality while recognizing the impact of Oregon's mistakes, stating, "It’s a damn good Indiana team. You’ve got to give credit to them, too. It’s not just what we need to do. It’s what they did do."
With this loss, Oregon concludes its season with a second consecutive lopsided College Football Playoff defeat, following last year's Rose Bowl loss to eventual national champions Ohio State. Senior linebacker Bryce Boettcher expressed the team's disappointment, acknowledging that this was far from the season they envisioned.
As Indiana advances to the championship game in South Florida, the Ducks face the offseason with unresolved decisions, particularly regarding Moore's future—whether he will declare for the NFL draft or return to Oregon.
Through a combination of turnovers, defensive resilience, and capitalizing on opponent errors, Indiana dominated their Big Ten rival to control this Peach Bowl semifinal, setting the stage for an anticipated national championship matchup against Miami.