The No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers destroyed the No. 5 Oregon Ducks 56-22 in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Peach Bowl. Indiana secured their spot in the program’s first national championship game with this big win. The Hoosiers, now 15-0, will play No. 10 Miami on January 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Indiana started strong right from the first play. Cornerback D’Angelo Ponds picked off Ducks quarterback Dante Moore and ran it back 25 yards for a touchdown. The crowd, which was about 80% Hoosiers fans, went wild. Indiana turned four Oregon turnovers and a blocked punt into quick touchdowns all night long.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, had another amazing performance. He completed 17 of 20 passes for 177 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing for 28 yards. According to Clutch Points, this was the fifth game this season where Mendoza threw more touchdowns than incompletions, something no other quarterback has done more than twice since 2000.
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Mendoza continues his record-breaking playoff run
Mendoza’s previous games with this rare achievement include a 19-for-20 performance with five touchdowns against Indiana State, a 21-for-23 showing with five TDs against Illinois, 22-for-24 with four touchdowns versus Wisconsin, and a near-perfect 14-for-16 with three TDs in the Rose Bowl.
In the CFP, Mendoza has now thrown eight touchdowns to just five incompletions across two games. The Hoosiers’ offense worked well on the ground too. Running back Kaelon Black ran for 63 yards and two scores on 12 carries. Indiana averaged 4.6 yards per rush, much better than their 3.0 yards per carry when they faced the Ducks in the regular season.
Wide receiver Elijah Sarratt caught seven passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Charlie Becker and EJ Williams Jr. also caught touchdown passes. This was the seventh game this season where both Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. scored touchdowns. Meanwhile, NFL fans have been reacting to Tom Brady’s latest commercial as the legendary quarterback continues his post-retirement ventures.
Indiana’s defense dominated Oregon all game long. The Hoosiers sacked Moore three times and recorded ten tackles for loss. Daniel Ndukwe led the team with two sacks. Oregon, which had only given up 14 sacks all season, allowed nine in this game alone. Indiana held the Ducks to less than four yards per play in the first half and built a massive 35-7 halftime lead. With this win, Mendoza could become the fourth Heisman winner to win a championship in the CFP era.
He would also be just the third to do it with an unbeaten record. The Hoosiers will try to finish their perfect season against a tough Hurricanes team that ranks No. 1 in the ACC in both total and scoring defense. As playoff excitement builds nationwide, fans in Buffalo have been buying old stadium memorabilia before their historic venue is replaced.
Published: Jan 10, 2026 12:45 pm