Photo by: Ian McFarland/UO Athletics
Peach Bowl Notebook
01/08/26 | Football
The Ducks arrived in Atlanta on Wednesday, two days prior to facing Indiana in a College Football Playoff semifinal.
ATLANTA — The last time the Oregon football team faced a reigning Heisman Trophy winner, it worked out well for the Ducks. A similar showing Friday would go a long way to helping them reach the national championship game.
The Ducks' College Football Playoff semifinal matchup with Indiana at the Peach Bowl brings the UO defense face-to-face with the newest winner of the sport's most prestigious award, Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Oregon is facing the reigning Heisman winner for the first time since 2023, when the Ducks knocked off Caleb Williams and USC in Autzen Stadium.
"They're always game changers, or game wreckers," UO defensive back Jadon Canady said. "So it's cool to play against one."
Mendoza, who began his career at California, is 240-of-332 passing for 3,172 yards and 36 touchdowns this season, against six interceptions. In the Hoosiers' win at Oregon on Oct. 11, he was 20-of-31 for 215 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.
"Obviously we know that he's a great player," UO outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti said. "We know their offense is great, so we're just excited to compete one more time against them. Obviously it wasn't the outcome we wanted the first time, but we're excited to be here again and have another chance."
The Ducks did have a pick-six off Mendoza in the regular season, by freshman Brandon Finney Jr. He was one of the stars of Oregon's CFP quarterfinal victory over Texas Tech at the Orange Bowl last week, as was Tuioti with two of the UO defense's four sacks that day.
Oregon had just one sack against Indiana in October, a total the Ducks will look to improve on Friday. And the UO defensive front definitely has the Hoosiers' attention.
"Oregon, let me tell you something," Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said at a press conference Thursday, "they're as big of a challenge for any team in college football, their D line, as anyone."
The respect between Oregon's defense and the Indiana offense led by Mendoza goes both ways.
"We definitely understand the back end needs to be very disciplined," Canady said Wednesday at a press conference following Oregon's arrival in Atlanta. "This guy probably won't make mistakes; if he does, we'll have to use that to our advantage."
There haven't been many mistakes from Mendoza so far during his Heisman season. The Ducks are hoping to coax a couple Friday; Indiana is looking for the opposite.
"I really can't say enough good things about what he's done since the day we got him till today," Cignetti said Thursday. "Except, he's gotta play damn good tomorrow."
Friday is a homecoming of sorts for Oregon running back Noah Whittington.
A Georgia native, Whittington has ample experience playing at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, site of the Peach Bowl. He played high school state championship games there in 2017 and 2018, and was with the Ducks when they played their 2022 season opener there against Georgia.
"It means a lot, going back to where it all started," Whittington said earlier this week in Eugene. "I played my first, I guess you could say 'big' football game that was televised, in that stadium. So it should bring back some good memories for sure."
Whittington could be a key player for the Ducks on Friday, given their limited depth at running back. Freshman Jordon Davison will miss the game due to injury, as will redshirt freshman Da'Jaun Riggs, while Jayden Limar didn't travel with the team on Wednesday amid reports he would enter the transfer portal.
That thinning of the depth at running back only makes the choice of Oregon's honorary captain for the Peach Bowl seem even more appropriate.
The Ducks' honorary captain is former running back Jonathan Stewart. He was MVP of the 2007 Sun Bowl, which the Ducks won despite a myriad of injuries that season, most notably to several quarterbacks including Heisman Trophy front-runner Dennis Dixon.
The "next man up" mentality that team embraced is one this season's Ducks have been emulating.
"It's really just about focusing on what we have here," tight end Kenyon Sadiq said earlier this week in Eugene. "(UO coach Dan) Lanning says every day in practice, there's gonna be someone that shows up in this game that hasn't all season. That's so true."
The Ducks' College Football Playoff semifinal matchup with Indiana at the Peach Bowl brings the UO defense face-to-face with the newest winner of the sport's most prestigious award, Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Oregon is facing the reigning Heisman winner for the first time since 2023, when the Ducks knocked off Caleb Williams and USC in Autzen Stadium.
"They're always game changers, or game wreckers," UO defensive back Jadon Canady said. "So it's cool to play against one."
Mendoza, who began his career at California, is 240-of-332 passing for 3,172 yards and 36 touchdowns this season, against six interceptions. In the Hoosiers' win at Oregon on Oct. 11, he was 20-of-31 for 215 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.
"Obviously we know that he's a great player," UO outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti said. "We know their offense is great, so we're just excited to compete one more time against them. Obviously it wasn't the outcome we wanted the first time, but we're excited to be here again and have another chance."
The Ducks did have a pick-six off Mendoza in the regular season, by freshman Brandon Finney Jr. He was one of the stars of Oregon's CFP quarterfinal victory over Texas Tech at the Orange Bowl last week, as was Tuioti with two of the UO defense's four sacks that day.
Oregon had just one sack against Indiana in October, a total the Ducks will look to improve on Friday. And the UO defensive front definitely has the Hoosiers' attention.
"Oregon, let me tell you something," Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said at a press conference Thursday, "they're as big of a challenge for any team in college football, their D line, as anyone."
The respect between Oregon's defense and the Indiana offense led by Mendoza goes both ways.
"We definitely understand the back end needs to be very disciplined," Canady said Wednesday at a press conference following Oregon's arrival in Atlanta. "This guy probably won't make mistakes; if he does, we'll have to use that to our advantage."
There haven't been many mistakes from Mendoza so far during his Heisman season. The Ducks are hoping to coax a couple Friday; Indiana is looking for the opposite.
"I really can't say enough good things about what he's done since the day we got him till today," Cignetti said Thursday. "Except, he's gotta play damn good tomorrow."
Friday is a homecoming of sorts for Oregon running back Noah Whittington.
A Georgia native, Whittington has ample experience playing at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, site of the Peach Bowl. He played high school state championship games there in 2017 and 2018, and was with the Ducks when they played their 2022 season opener there against Georgia.
"It means a lot, going back to where it all started," Whittington said earlier this week in Eugene. "I played my first, I guess you could say 'big' football game that was televised, in that stadium. So it should bring back some good memories for sure."
Whittington could be a key player for the Ducks on Friday, given their limited depth at running back. Freshman Jordon Davison will miss the game due to injury, as will redshirt freshman Da'Jaun Riggs, while Jayden Limar didn't travel with the team on Wednesday amid reports he would enter the transfer portal.
That thinning of the depth at running back only makes the choice of Oregon's honorary captain for the Peach Bowl seem even more appropriate.
The Ducks' honorary captain is former running back Jonathan Stewart. He was MVP of the 2007 Sun Bowl, which the Ducks won despite a myriad of injuries that season, most notably to several quarterbacks including Heisman Trophy front-runner Dennis Dixon.
The "next man up" mentality that team embraced is one this season's Ducks have been emulating.
"It's really just about focusing on what we have here," tight end Kenyon Sadiq said earlier this week in Eugene. "(UO coach Dan) Lanning says every day in practice, there's gonna be someone that shows up in this game that hasn't all season. That's so true."
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