Instant Takeaways From Oregon's Playoff Loss to Indiana

ATLANTA - The No. 5 Oregon Ducks lost to the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers 56-22 in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Peach Bowl, giving Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks another blowout loss in the postseason.

Another Embarrassing Postseason Exit

Oregon trailed Indiana 35-7 at halftime with the game feeling eerily similar to the Ducks' first half struggles in the loss to Ohio State at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2025.

oregon ducks dan lanning indiana hoosiers peach bowl curt cignetti college football playoff semifinals atlanta big te — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning takes the field as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon's loss to Indiana marks the second consecutive season in which Lanning and the Ducks were blown out in the postseason. While Oregon did advance a round farther in this year's CFP after the quarterfinal loss to Ohio State, the Hoosiers dominated the Ducks like the Buckeyes did.

The losses that Oregon suffered to the transfer portal have been well-documented, especially the Ducks' lack of running back and defensive back depth. Oregon running back Noah Whittington barely played, and true freshman running back Jordon Davison missed the game.

Still, the Ducks looked overmatched against Indiana. In the first half, Oregon possessed the ball for 10 more seconds than Indiana's offense, but the Hoosiers scored five touchdowns to Oregon's one. The Ducks' three first-half turnovers were ultimately the difference, giving Indiana favorable field position on multiple occasions.

Dante Moore Struggles

oregon ducks dan lanning indiana hoosiers peach bowl curt cignetti college football playoff semifinals atlanta big ten — Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) fumbles against the Indiana Hoosiers during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore struggled against Indiana, but the Ducks offense looked out of sync throughout the game. Moore threw an interception on the first play of the game, and Indiana defensive back D'Angelo Ponds returned it for a 25-yard touchdown. Moore seemed to regain his composure on Oregon's second possession, leading the Ducks on a 14-play drive and throwing a 19-yard touchdown to tight end Jamari Johnson and third down.

In the second quarter alone, Moore fumbled twice and was sacked three times. The first fumble was caused in part by the ball hitting Ducks running back Dierre Hill Jr. as Moore started his throwing motion. Ultimately, the Hoosiers' lead ballooned to 35-7 by halftime.

Moore finished the game completing 24 of 39 attempts for 285 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

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Beaten In All Three Phases

While Oregon's defense fought until the end, Indiana beat the Ducks in all three phases on Friday: offense, defense, and special teams. The Hoosiers blocked a punt in the fourth quarter, and Oregon kicker Atticus Sappington missed a 56-yard field goal attempt at the end of the second quarter.

Meanwhile, Indiana's defense totaled three sacks and nine tackles for loss against the Oregon offense as the Ducks offensive line struggled to protect Moore. Without taking the negative sack yardage into account, the Ducks rushed for 116 yards and averaged 5.5 yards per carry.

The Ducks offense gained over 300 yards in the losing effort, but the turnovers proved to be too costly to come back from in the end. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza completed 17 of 20 passes for five touchdowns and 177 yards. On the ground, the Hoosiers rushed for 185 yards and two scores.