Season Ends For Ducks In CFP Semifinals

Friday, January 9

Atlanta, Ga.

4:30 PM

University of Oregon

13-2 , 8-1

Indiana

15-0 , 9-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Oregon

Indiana

Photo by: GoDucks.com

01/09/26 | Football

Box Score Box Score: #1 Indiana 56, #5 Oregon 22 Photo Gallery

Early mistakes doomed Oregon on Friday in a 56-22 loss to Indiana at the Peach Bowl.

By: Rob Moseley

ATLANTA — Oregon's 2025 season ended a game short of a national championship shot.

The No. 5 Ducks succumbed to the weight of early mistakes Friday and lost 56-22 to No. 1 Indiana in a College Football Playoff semifinal hosted by the Peach Bowl. The Hoosiers advanced to face Miami in the CFP title game Jan. 19.

Oregon (13-2) lost for just the fifth time in the last three years — all to teams that made the national championship game. But that was no consolation after self-inflicted wounds contributed to Friday's outcome.

"All the credit in the world to Indiana," UO coach Dan Lanning said. "I've said before that they're an unbelievably well-coached team; I think that was really apparent tonight. They started off hot, and they didn't really slow down."

The Ducks were the only team in the country to win 13 games each of the past two seasons, tying the program record for single-season victories first set in 2014. Oregon had hoped to advance to the national championship game for the first time since that magical year, but the Hoosiers grabbed momentum early Friday and never let it go.

Oregon committed three turnovers in the first half of the Peach Bowl, all of which led to Indiana touchdowns. The first was a pick-six by the Hoosiers on the first play from scrimmage of the night.

"First things first, the quarterback's got to take care of the football," Moore said. "Indiana has a great defense — great disguises, different looks — but you can't win football games if you turn it over. So that's just something of course I need to work at."

The Ducks responded to that start by mounting a 14-play, 75-yard scoring drive. Jamari Johnson's 19-yard touchdown reception from Moore tied the game at 7-7, but it was all Indiana the rest of the first half.

Moore finished the game 24-of-39 for 285 yards and two touchdowns, with the early interception. His counterpart, Heisman Trophy winner Francisco Mendoza, finished 17-of-20 for 177 yards and five scores for the Hoosiers, his efficiency contributing to their 11-of-14 success on third down.

Nasir Wyatt Strip Sack

"Now how I envisioned it whatsoever," said UO senior linebacker Bryce Boettcher, who led the Ducks with 11 tackles in his collegiate finale. "We obviously prepared to win, and Indiana was a better team tonight."

With leading rusher Noah Whittington a game-time decision due to injury and the offense also without injured freshman Jordon Davison — Oregon's leading scorer this season — the Ducks struggled to run the ball. Dierre Hill started at running back and led the Ducks with 86 yards, most coming on a 71-yard rush to set up a touchdown in the third quarter by Jay Harris.

Oregon's third and final touchdown was a Moore pass to tight end Roger Saleapaga in the last minute of the game.

Along with the three first-half turnovers, the Ducks also gave up a short field that set up an Indiana touchdown in the fourth quarter, when the Hoosiers blocked a punt. All those sudden changes that benefited Indiana led to an Oregon loss despite the Ducks actually outgaining the Hoosiers, 378-362.

"You hurt for those guys," Lanning said of the mood in his locker room. "The world's going to judge everybody in that room based on the result tonight, right? I'm going to judge those guys on the kind of fathers they become someday, the kind of husbands they become someday. But in this moment, you feel like a failure for them — and they're not. They're not failures.

"These guys won a lot of damn ball games. They've had a lot of success. They've changed people's lives. But right now, in that moment, it's gonna hurt. And the hard part is, you got guys like Bryce that, they don't get to be a Duck anymore. You know, they'll be a Duck forever, but he doesn't get to go wear that uniform and go play a game for us again. I really wanted that for them. Really wanted them to be able to enjoy that and experience that, and they don't get to."