Most Powerful Moment After Oregon’s Loss To Indiana Wasn’t About The Score

ATLANTA - The Oregon Ducks’ 56‑22 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff semifinals ended their national championship dreams, leaving heartbreak and questions in its wake. But amid the Peach Bowl disappointment, a small act of humanity stood out as the red and white confetti fell in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

On the very first play, Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds intercepted Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and scored a touchdown. After the final whistle, Ducks equipment staffer Kenny Farr tracked him down through a sea of players and coaches and handed him the football. In a moment that had nothing to do with the scoreboard, Farr’s gesture reminded everyone why college football is about more than wins and losses... and what Oregon football is truly all about.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks off the field after the Ducks’ loss 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 Ducks' Classy Move After Losing To Indiana Speaks Volumes

The moment of kindness and sportsmanship perfectly captured what makes college football special.

After the game, Oregon Football equipment staffer went up to D'Angelo Ponds and gave him the ball from his pick 6! What an unbelievable person! That’s what college football is all about! https://t.co/ce3NmTOv9V pic.twitter.com/NurXYvrBr3
— The cfb lliason (@realfbllliason) January 10, 2026

Many Oregon fans know Farr not just as a staffer, but as a constant presence through the program’s highs and lows. Since joining the Ducks’ equipment room in July 2008, he has been a steady hand through coaching changes, championship runs, and tough seasons alike. Farr has become more than the man behind the uniforms - part manager, part overseer - and a quiet figure whose dedication quietly shapes what Oregon football looks and feels like.

Farr made certain Ponds got his flowers and the football, a small but unforgettable act of class that resonated with everyone watching.

Indiana will advance to face the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on Jan. 19 in the National Championship. Overreactions are already pouring in after Oregon’s playoff hopes ended with lopsided losses in back-to-back seasons. Still, despite the heartbreak, the Ducks have plenty to be proud of.

Oregon Quarterback Dante Moore Takes Blame

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 racked up 285 passing yards and two touchdowns, but three costly turnovers - two fumbles and an interception - marked what may be his final appearance in an Oregon uniform.

"First thing is first, the quarterback has to protect the football. They have a great defense, great disguise and different looks, but you can't win football games if you're causing turnovers. Something of course I need to work at. It comes with just reps. But overall, I mean, Indiana defense is great, defensive coordinator, but at the end of the day, we beat ourselves," Moore said.

Oregon’s offense never seemed to find its rhythm. On the very first snap, Moore’s pass was picked off by Ponds and returned 25 yards for a touchdown, setting the tone for a night that never let up. Moore fought back on the Ducks’ second drive, leading a 14-play march that ended with a 19-yard touchdown to tight end Jamari Johnson, giving fans a brief spark of hope.

But the struggles quickly returned. In the second quarter alone, Moore fumbled twice and was sacked three times, including one fumble caused when the ball hit running back Dierre Hill Jr. as Moore began his throwing motion. By halftime, Indiana had blown the game open, carrying a 35‑7 lead and leaving Oregon searching for answers.

The 35-7 halftime deficit felt 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

After the game, Oregon coach Dan Lanning described the hardest part of being in the locker room after the loss.

"You hurt for those guys because the world is going to judge everybody in that room based on the result tonight. 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, right, 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 some people's lives, but right now, that moment is going to hurt,” Lanning said.

“And the hard part, you know, you got guys like Bryce (Boettcher) that they don't get to be a Duck anymore. They will be a Duck forever, but he does not 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,” Lanning continued.

The Ducks fell short of their National Championship goal, but the heart and character of Oregon football, from players to staffers, stood out when the final whistle blew.