3 Numbers to Know Before Indiana vs. Oregon Showdown in the Peach Bowl

On Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), No. 1 Indiana and No. 5 Oregon are set to duke it out in the Peach Bowl in a semifinal matchup that pits two Big Ten squads against each other. Here are three stats to know heading into the Peach Bowl.

Three must-know numbers ahead of Indiana vs. Oregon in the Peach Bowl

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, left, shakes hands with Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti as the Oregon Ducks host the Indiana Hoosiers Oct. 11, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Indiana’s total rushing yards allowed over the last two games: 81

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. Indiana has in fact held its last two opponents – Ohio State and Alabama – to just 81 total rushing yards. The Crimson Tide went for 23 yards on 17 carries while the Buckeyes toted the rock 26 times for 58 yards. That’s an average of 1.8 yards per carry.

And it’s not a coincidence. The Hoosiers have been bottling up rushing attacks all season long, allowing just 73.7 rushing yards per game (second-best in the nation). Meanwhile, Oregon is on the heels of a 47-carry, 64-yard showing on the ground against Texas Tech, which, worth noting, is the top rushing defense in the country (68.1 yards allowed per game).

Still, although Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is quite talented, as is the Ducks’ overall passing attack, Dan Lanning’s club relies heavily on its ground game, which averages 206.1 yards per game. In the first meeting against Curt Cignetti’s unit, Oregon managed just 81 yards on 30 carries – although that number was admittedly skewered by Moore taking six sacks.

The Ducks’ ability to control the trenches – an area they were dominated in the first go around with the Hoosiers – and find success with their dynamic one-two punch of Jordon Davison and Noah Whittington at running back may prove to be the key determinant in the final result on Friday.

Oregon’s TFLs allowed per game: 3.86

Jan 1, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) stands in the pocket against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the second half of the 2025 Orange Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Few offensive lines have been as protective of their position players as Oregon’s. Allowing just 3.86 tackles for loss per game (second among College Football Playoff teams), along with just 1.14 sacks per outing, the Ducks offensive line has been superb all season long – except on two occasions: against Indiana and Texas Tech.

That regular-season matchup saw the Hoosiers register a whopping six sacks and eight total TFLs. Meanwhile, despite losing by 23 points, the Red Raiders accumulated nine TFLs.

Thus far, Oregon’s offensive line has indisputably been excellent. But when facing elite defensive lines, it has crumbled. On Friday, it’ll be up against an Indiana defense that averages 8.4 TFLs per game.

Getting behind the chains against the Hoosiers, who boast the No. 3 third-down defense in the nation (28.0 percent conversion rate allowed), is a recipe for disaster. To avoid that, Oregon must reduce its negative plays. (Went 3-for-14 on third-down in the previous matchup vs. Indiana.)

So, can the Ducks lock down the fort, and can their line play its best game of the season? It’ll need to – or Oregon will be packing its bags for a one-way ticket to Eugene instead of punching its ticket to the national title game.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s completion percentage: 72.3

All the critics – mostly the SEC faithful – argue that Mendoza’s numbers have been heavily inflated in blow out wins. Then he went 14-for-16 (87.5 percent) and set a Rose Bowl record against Alabama. Mendoza won the Heisman for a reason: he’s really, really good.

New Rose Bowl records set by No. 15. 👏 pic.twitter.com/vUtbplNXOt
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) January 3, 2026

Back in early October, Mendoza went a solid 20-for-31 (64.5 percent) against Oregon, largely having his way with the Ducks’ defense, aside from that interception which was brought back for a touchdown.

After being the most-sacked quarterback in the country at Cal a year ago, there isn’t a gunslinger that has faced more pressure, and is more comfortable unloading in the face of it, than Mendoza.

His processing speed is second-to-none, his accuracy is hard to fathom and he is simply unflappable. But everyone can be flustered. The difficulty is in pinpointing exactly how to do that. But that’s what Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi gets paid the big bucks for, and it’s why he was just hired as the next head coach at Cal.

Perhaps the best defensive coordinator in the country over the past few seasons (Indiana's Bryant Haines is also in that conversation), Lupoi is one of the best in the business, but he’ll need to paint his masterpiece on Friday to slow down the uber-talented Mendoza and the well-oiled machine that is Indiana’s offense.