Francis Mauigoa Reveals He Called Oregon Before Facing Indiana in National Title Game

Before the College Football Playoff National Championship Game between Miami and Indiana, Hurricanes offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa revealed that he called Oregon Ducks center Iapani "Poncho" Laloulu before facing the Hoosiers. Indiana advanced to the national championship against Miami with a resounding win over the Ducks, but Mauigoa still wanted to know if he could learn anything from the team that faced the Hoosiers twice.

Miami Calls Oregon Before National Championship

In an interview with All 32 creator Brett Kollmann at the NFL Combine, Mauigoa talked about his conversation with Laloulu when it comes to preparing for Indiana linebacker Aiden Fisher.

"Number 4 (Fisher) gave a little bit of trouble. I remember one play, we was calling a wide zone, and we always make a dummy call to try and dummy 'em up," said Mauigoa. "Because we called the Oregon center, Poncho, and he was like 'Bro, he played quarterback. So he knows everything like what a rip, lou. . . . '"

francis mauigoa nfl combine miami hurricanes indiana hoosiers national championship oregon ducks iapani poncho laloulu — Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa (OL34) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

One of my favorite tidbits from OL media day.

The Miami offensive line called up the Oregon O-line while prepping for Indiana. From that conversation, Miami decided to put in some dummy calls to mess with Aiden Fisher.

Fisher saw right through it anyway.

Formation study >>> pic.twitter.com/6gSEUCwHdV
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) March 1, 2026

"He knows the universal language. So we were like, 'Ok, we gotta dummy this up.' So our dummy call was disco. . . . The guy came up to the line of scrimmage, it'd be like, 'Hey, they're running wide zone to this side.' I'm looking at them, I'm looking at the center, I'm looking at the quarterback like 'Are we gonna tease the play or what?'" Mauigoa continued to tell Kollmann.

Mauigoa went on to reveal that the Hurricanes actually scored a touchdown on that play, but Fisher and the Hoosiers got the last laugh with an eventual national championship title.

Oregon's only losses during the 2025 season came at the hands of Indiana, and the second one wasn't particularly close. Still, Mauigoa reached out to Laloulu before playing the Hoosiers because the Oregon center is one of the best offensive linemen in college football.

Luckily for Ducks fans, Laloulu is returning to Oregon alongside quarterback Dante Moore and other key returners.

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Iapani "Poncho" Laloulu Returning in 2026

Laloulu announced his decision to return before the Ducks were eliminated from the CFP, as did defensive lineman Bear Alexander, but others like Moore, wide receiver Evan Stewart, and defensive linemen Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti made their announcements closer to the NFL Draft deadline.

With Laloulu, Moore, and the others returning, Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks have the fifth-best odds (+900) of winning the national title, per DraftKings Sportsbook. While Fisher has moved on, the Hoosiers remain ahead of the Ducks.

Indiana is in a four-way tie for the best odds at +700, and Miami currently sits at +1500 for next season, according to DraftKings.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.