Top-ranked Indiana delivered another commanding performance in the College Football Playoff, overwhelming No. 5 Oregon 56-22 in the Peach Bowl semifinal on Friday night to book a place in the national championship game.
Behind a dominant defensive display and a near-flawless outing from quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the undefeated Hoosiers extended their perfect season to 15-0 and underlined why they entered the playoff as the title favorites.
Indiana will face No. 10 Miami in the championship game on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Miami edged Mississippi 31-27 in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal on Thursday night.
The Hoosiers built a crushing 35-7 halftime lead, powered by three first-half turnovers that directly led to touchdowns. Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner and a Miami native, completed 17 of 20 passes for five touchdowns, including two to Elijah Sarratt and a 36-yard strike to Charlie Becker. Kaelon Black added two rushing touchdowns.
“I thought he was incredible,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said of Mendoza. “He was on top of the game and his performance was a huge difference in this football game.”
Oregon coach Dan Lanning praised the quarterback’s poise, saying Mendoza “makes the right decisions” and consistently puts the ball in the right place.
Indiana’s defense set the tone immediately. On the Ducks’ first offensive snap, cornerback D’Angelo Ponds intercepted Dante Moore’s pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown, just 11 seconds into the game.
After Oregon briefly tied the score at 7-7 on Moore’s touchdown pass to Jamari Johnson, Indiana took control for good. Mendoza connected with Omar Cooper Jr. for an 8-yard touchdown, then the defense forced a fumble at the Oregon 3-yard line, setting up Black’s scoring run.
Moore lost another fumble later in the second quarter, leading to Mendoza’s first touchdown pass to Sarratt and a 35-7 halftime cushion. Indiana stretched the lead to 42-7 early in the second half on a 13-yard scoring pass to E.J. Williams Jr.
Oregon, playing without two of its top running backs, struggled to move the ball against Indiana’s stifling defense. The Ducks managed just nine rushing yards on 17 carries in the first half and were forced to rely on backup runners Jay Harris and Dierre Hill Jr.
Indiana’s special teams also made an impact when Daniel Ndukwe blocked a punt in the fourth quarter, setting up another Mendoza touchdown pass to Sarratt.
With the win, Indiana kept the Big Ten on track for a third straight national title, following championships by Ohio State and Michigan the past two seasons.
Following a 38-3 demolition of Alabama in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal and now a blowout of Oregon, the Hoosiers head into the title game with enormous momentum — and a growing case as one of the most complete teams college football has seen in years.