Hoosiers Fly Past Ducks & Into the CFP Finale

With the Miami Hurricanes having already locked up half of the representation for the 2025-26 College Football Playoff National Championship as a result of their 31-27 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, all eyes and ears focused down south here in Atlanta, Georgia, for a rematch of the Oregon Ducks and Indiana Hoosiers in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

The last time these two teams met, they ran balanced offenses, with Indiana passing the ball 31 times and running 37 times to Oregon passing the ball 34 times and running 30 times.

That game was played almost exactly three months before this College Football Playoff Semifinal, taking place in Eugene, Oregon, on October 11, 2025.

The Ducks played from behind in that regular season conference match-up inside the Big Ten, taking the lead at 7-3 early on a touchdown from quarterback Dante Moore to wide receiver Malik Benson after a field goal by Indiana kicker Nico Radicic.

They would come back to tie that game on three separate occasions before the Hoosiers broke the 20-20 score by attaining the final two scores of the game to win the bout 30-20, handing the Ducks their only loss of the season as they entered the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The very first play of either offense in this rematch inside the Peach Bowl was an interception thrown by Moore to Indiana cornerback D'Angelo Ponds who jumped the route of intended-receiver Benson, caught the ball, and took off for a 25-yard score to make it 7-0 Hoosiers just 11 seconds into the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (14:49 mark).

Oregon would start their next drive from their own 25-yard line and would get by midfield for a 3rd-&-7 opportunity. On that down, Moore would find Benson coming left to right for a first down to the Hoosiers' 40-yard line.

The next third-down attempt by the Ducks, 3rd-&-3 from the Hoosiers' 33, turned into another first down on another pass attempt from Moore, this time to running back Jay Harris for five yards to the 28-yard line of Indiana.

On 2nd-&-4, Moore would pass for a first down to tight end Kenyon Sadiq on a five-yard gain to get Oregon inside the Indiana redzone, at their 18-yard line.

Shortly after, on 3rd-&-12, Moore dropped back and saw tight end Jamari Johnson over the middle, sending the ball his way for a 12-yard touchdown reception that tied the game at 7-7 at the 7:11 mark of the first quarter. Not only did the Ducks score on their second drive of the game but they also took 7:38 off of the clock in the process.

On their second drive of the night, Indiana would gain three first downs, with the third coming on a 12-yard gain on the ground by running back Roman Hemby that moved the Hoosiers into the Ducks' redzone at their 17-yard line.

Two plays later, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza found wide receiver Omar Cooper, Jr., for an eight-yard score on the left side of the end zone, regaining the lead for the Hoosiers, now 14-7, with 40 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Oregon would run one play, a four-yard carry by Harris, before the end of the first quarter, taking their third drive of the game into the start of the second quarter, with a 2nd-&-6 try from their own 29-yard line.

Indiana linebacker Isaiah Jones and defensive lineman Mikail Kamara combined to take down Harris for a one-yard loss on 3rd-&-2, forcing Oregon to make the first punt of the game on a drive that went three-and-out.

The Hoosiers' third drive would end in their first punt of the game as well, this coming from Ducks' outside linebacker Nasir Wyatt strip-sacking Mendoza. On this play, the ball would hit the ground, bounce up, and Mendoza would gather it, attempting to get away from traffic, but would instead be taken to the ground for a 20-yard loss that switched the field for the Hoosiers, sending them to 4th-&-27 from their own 43.

However, Indiana would get the ball right back thanks to Oregon's second turnover of the first half that occurred when the ball was in Moore's right hand, hit the left arm of his running back, and was lost out of the hand of Moore. The Hoosiers recovered the ball on the Ducks' three-yard line thanks to defensive lineman Mario Landino.

Just as with the first Oregon turnover, Indiana would capitalize, this on a one-yard touchdown run by running back Kaelon Black who carried the ball three consecutive times on this the fourth drive for Indiana. With 8:17 left in the first half, Indiana led 21-7.

On their fifth drive of the Peach Bowl, the Ducks would see Moore get sacked on back-to-back plays, the first by defensive lineman Dominique Ratcliff for a nine-yard loss on second down and the second by defensive lineman Daniel Ndukwe for a six-yard loss on third down. The two would combine to force a punt on 4th-&-18 from Oregon's own 32-yard line.

With under 4:30 to go in the second quarter, neither team's offense had cracked 100 total yards.

The Hoosiers would pass the 100-yard mark when Mendoza found wide receiver Elijah Sarratt for an 18-yard pass play.

On this the fifth drive of the game for Indiana, Mendoza would go 4-for-4 in total, with the fourth pass going for a score when he aired out to wide receiver Charlie Becker in single-coverage, putting the ball overtop the defender for a 36-yard touchdown that brought the score to 28-7 at the 3:20 mark of the second quarter.

The Ducks would make their third turnover of the first half on their second play of their sixth drive when Moore fumbled, forced by Ndukwe who was credited with the strip-sack for an eight-yard loss and recovered by Landino at the Ducks' 21-yard line.

On 3rd-&-3 during their sixth drive of the night, Mendoza sent the ball to cornerback D'Angelo Ponds who showed his speed, catching the ball and getting outside to get around his defender and secure a first down on the eight-yard line of Oregon.

Mendoza would pass on 3rd-&-2 to Sarratt who caught the ball and got under his defender for the two-yard score.

This play would be reviewed by the officiating crew and the touchdown call was upheld, meaning the Hoosiers held a 28-point lead with 59 seconds left in the opening half, ahead 35-7.

At the half, Oregon led Indiana in passing yards 112 to 110.

The Hoosiers amounted 65 yards on 20 carries while the Ducks had nine total rushing yards after 28 yards were lost on the sacks that took Moore down.

Each team had nine first downs in the first half.

The difference were the turnovers: Oregon 3 and Indiana 0, with Indiana scoring on all three of Oregon's turnovers.

On the first drive of the second half, Mendoza would take off for a quarterback keeper inside the 11-minute mark. Mendoza would gain 18 yards, fumble the ball which was forced by Ducks' defensive back Jadon Canady and recovered by Hoosiers' offensive lineman Pat Coogan.

After Coogan saved this drive by falling onto the ball, Mendoza would find wide receiver E.J. Williams, Jr., who broke free from coverage for a 13-yard pass play to the Oregon end zone that made it 42-7 Indiana at the 8:52 mark of the third quarter; Indiana took six minutes and eight seconds off of the clock on this opening drive of the second half.

On Oregon's first play of the second half, running back Dierre Hill, Jr., took a carry to the right side, got through traffic, and took off for a 71-yard gain that took Oregon from their own 25-yard line to the four-yard line of Indiana.

Two plays later, Harris would muscle his way in from two yards out for a rushing touchdown that was followed by a completed two-point conversion from Moore to Jamari Johnson that made it 42-15 Hoosiers at the 7:50 mark of the third quarter on a drive that took a mere 1:02 off of the clock.

The first play of the second drive by Indiana would appear to be a substantial gain by Black on a carry he took into the open field but a holding penalty would negate it all and, instead, send the Hoosiers backward to their own 15-yard line on what would be 1st-&-20.

This drive would end with the first punt of the second half when the Hoosiers sent the ball back to the Ducks, pitting the Ducks at their own five-yard line, downed by Becker of the Hoosiers after a 44-yard punt by Mitch McCarthy.

Oregon's second drive of the third quarter would end when Harris lost a yard on 4th-&-1 with Oregon on the Indiana 31-yard line, giving the ball back to Indiana at their own 32.

After a punt by the Hoosiers' on their third drive of the second half, the Ducks would set up to punt as well, but Ndukwe would get in the way of James Ferguson-Reynolds' attempt, blocking the punt which was then recovered by linebacker Kaiden Turner at the Ducks' 10-yard line.

Indiana would make the most of their successful blocked punt when Mendoza found Sarratt for a three-yard touchdown pass that brought the score to 49-15 Hoosiers with 11:36 remaining.

Oregon would take the field for their next drive and on 4th-&-4 turn the ball over on downs when Moore's pass toward the right sideline intended for wide receiver Dakorien Moore fell incomplete.

Running back Khobie Martin would get fed four-straight times on the ensuing Hoosiers' drive, with gains of 10 yards, 26 yards, three yards, and three yards, respectively.

The fifth carry would go to Black who broke through the line for a 23-yard touchdown run that elevated Indiana to a 56-15 advantage with 5:13 to go in the game.

Oregon would take their final drive of the night into the Indiana end zone when Moore found tight end Roger Saleapaga for a one-yard pass-play that brought the score to 56-22 Indiana.

Mendoza would down the ball and that knee to the ground would run the final seconds off of the game clock as the Hoosiers rose to the final spot in the 2025-26 College Football Playoff National Championship to face the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.

In the two games the Hoosiers have played in this season's College Football Playoff, they have outscored their opponents 94 to 25 (Quarterfinal win at the Rose Bowl over the Alabama Crimson Tide 38-3 followed by Semifinal win at the Peach Bowl over the Oregon Ducks 56-22).

Mendoza finished the game 17-for-20 for 177 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Sarratt led all receivers with 75 yards, achieving this on seven catches with two of those catches going for touchdowns.

Black ended atop all Indiana rushers with 63 yards on 12 carries, including two scores.

Ndukwe ended the game with two sacks and a blocked punt, while Ratcliff had a sack, and Ponds had an interception return for a touchdown.

For Oregon, Moore was 24-for-39 for 285 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

Jeremiah McClellan led all receivers for the Ducks with 64 yards on five catches.

Hill was the leading rusher for both teams, amounting 86 yards on five carries for Oregon.

Ducks' linebacker Bryce Boettcher finished with 11 total tackles, seven of them solo.

Wyatt had the lone sack on Mendoza for Oregon, which was the aforementioned strip sack.

There were 75,604 tickets sold for this edition of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.