Indiana dominated on its way to a 56-22 win over Oregon in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9 and is one win away from securing one of the greatest turnarounds in college football history.
The No. 1 Hoosiers (15-0) finished 3-9 in 2023 but are moving on to the national championship game two seasons later after hiring Curt Cignetti. It’ll be a homecoming for Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, who grew up in Miami.
Mendoza, whose dad played football alongside Miami coach Mario Cristobal in high school, passed for five touchdowns against the Ducks. The Heisman Trophy winner has eight touchdowns to six incompletions in two College Football Playoff wins over Alabama and Oregon this season.
Indiana scored 28 points off turnovers, including a pick-6 from D’Angelo Ponds on the first play of the game. Indiana and Oregon were tied at 7-7 in the first quarter before the Hoosiers scored 35 unanswered points, continuing their dominance that carried over from a 38-3 win over Alabama at the Rose Bowl.
Here are the highlights from Indiana’s 56-22 win over Oregon at the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9 to advance to the national title game:
Peach Bowl Indiana vs Oregon score
Peach Bowl highlights: Indiana vs Oregon
Indiana to face Miami in national championship
Indiana dominates Oregon 56-22 in the Peach Bowl to advance to the national championship against Miami. The Hoosiers are one win away from one of the greatest turnarounds in college football history.
Oregon scores
Dante Moore throws a 1-yard touchdown pass to Roger Saleapaga to make the score 56-22 with 22 seconds left.
Kaelon Black scores
Kaelon Black gets back in on the fun, rushing for his second touchdown of the night from 23 yards out. Indiana extends its lead to 56-15 with 5:13 left in the fourth quarter.
Mendoza tosses fifth touchdown
Indiana extends its lead to 49-15 in the fourth quarter on Fernando Mendoza’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt with 11:36 left. Mendoza is now 17-of-20 passing for 177 yards with five touchdowns on the night.
Sarratt has seven receptions for 75 yards and two scores.
Indiana punts
Fernando Mendoza’s pass intended for Omar Cooper Jr. deep downfield falls incomplete on third-and-5, forcing the Hoosiers to punt from their own 37-yard line. Oregon might have gotten away with some contact against Cooper Jr. on the defense.
Indiana stuffs Oregon on fourth down
Oregon pitches it outside on fourth-and-1 at Indiana’s 31-yard line, but All-American linebacker Aiden Fisher sniffs it out and tackles Jay Harris for a 1-yard loss.
The Hoosiers regain possession with a 42-15 lead just before the end of the third quarter.
Indiana punts
Indiana punts for the second time tonight after its drive stalls out on fourth-and-3. Mitch McCarthy’s 49-yard punt is downed at Oregon’s 5-yard line, pinning the Ducks deep inside their own territory.
The Hoosiers are dominating even when they punt.
Oregon scores
Oregon shows some signs of life despite the huge deficit. Jay Harris plunges in a 2-yard touchdown before Jamari Johnson catches the 2-point conversion throw from Dante Moore.
Oregon cuts its deficit to 42-15 with 7:50 left in the third quarter, scoring on two plays.
Oregon with explosive play
Dierre Hill Jr. runs for 71 yards on the Ducks’ first possession of the second half, putting Oregon on the 2-yard line threatening to score.
Indiana scores again
Mendoza tosses his fourth touchdown of the game on a 13-yard pass to E.J. Williams Jr. to give Indiana a 42-7 lead with 8:52 left in the third quarter.
The Ducks have no answers for the Hoosiers tonight.
Fernando Mendoza CFP stats
Mendoza is proving why he was the Heisman Trophy winner this season in the College Football Playoff so far. He is 24-of-27 passing for 302 yards with six touchdowns and no turnovers through six quarters against Alabama and Oregon combined.
Mendoza is 10-for-11 with 110 yards and three touchdowns at halftime against Oregon at the Peach Bowl.
Curt Cignetti says Indiana is ‘whipping them up front’
The difference in the game so far is clear to Indiana coach Curt Cignetti.
‘We’re whipping them up front right now,’ he says to ESPN sideline reporter Molly McGrath at halftime.
Oregon misses field goal before halftime
Atticus Sappington’s 56-yard field goal attempt falls short as the clock expires before halftime. Indiana leads 35-7 heading into the final two quarters of the Peach Bowl.
Indiana takes 35-7 lead
Make it 28 unanswered points for Indiana, which takes a 35-7 lead on a 2-yard touchdown catch by Elijah Sarratt. The Hoosiers are dominating in every facet right now.
Indiana causes another turnover
Daniel Ndukwe sacks Dante Moore on the second play of Oregon’s next drive and forces a fumble that’s recovered by Mario Landino at Oregon’s 21-yard line.
It’s Moore’s third turnover of the game so far, and Indiana is threatening to go up 35-7 before halftime. The Hoosiers just keep rolling in the CFP.
Indiana scores again
Fernando Mendoza drops an absolute dime in a 1-on-1 situation to Charlie Becker, who climbs the ladder over Oregon’s Brandon Finney Jr. for a 36-yard touchdown. What a throw and catch for the Hoosiers, who take a 28-7 lead with 3:13 left in the first half.
Mendoza is 8-of-9 passing for 102 yards with two touchdowns.
Indiana sacks Dante Moore on back-to-back plays
On second-and-3 from the Oregon 47-yard line, Indiana sacks Dante Moore on back-to-back plays to stall another Oregon drive. Dominique Ratcliff and Daniel Ndukwe get to Moore on second and third down, respectively.
Indiana’s defense has four tackles for loss for 18 yards so far.
Kaleon Black extends Indiana lead with TD
Three plays after the turnover, Kaleon Black scores from 1 yard out to extend Indiana’s lead to 21-7 with 8:17 left in the first half. The scoring drive is three plays for three yards and takes 1:12 off the clock.
Dante Moore loses fumble
Dante Moore loses a fumble as Dierre Hill Jr. bumps into him at the mesh point as he attempts to make a throw. Mario Landino lands on the ball and Indiana begins the drive at Oregon’s 3-yard line with a chance to go up two scores.
Nasir Wyatt sacks Fernando Mendoza
Oregon denies Indiana a chance to build on its lead when Nasir Wyatt sacks Fernando Mendoza for a 20-yard loss on third-and-7 from the Oregon 37-yard line. That forces an Indiana punt.
Oregon will begin its next drive from its own 13-yard line, trailing 14-7 with 9:35 left in the first half.
Oregon goes three-and-out
Oregon hands it off to Jay Harris on third-and-2, but Mikail Kamara beats his man for a 1-yard tackle for loss. Indiana regains possession looking to go up two scores on its own 18-yard line.
Indiana takes 14-7 lead
Indiana drives right down the field, ending in an 8-yard touchdown pass from Fernando Mendoza to Omar Cooper Jr. The Hoosiers lead 14-7 with 40 seconds left in the first quarter after an 11-play, 75-yard drive that takes 6:31 off the clock.
Mendoza is 4-of-4 passing for 41 yards with a touchdown.
Oregon responds
Oregon ties the game at 7-7 on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Dante Moore to Jamari Johnson. The Ducks respond from their turnover with a big-time 14-play, 75-yard drive that takes 7:38 off the clock.
Hello, D’Angelo
One play, one touchdown for Indiana. D’Angelo Ponds jumps the route and comes up with a 19-yard pick-6 on the first play from scrimmage, giving Indiana a very early 7-0 lead. What a play.
Oregon starts with possession
Dante Moore and the Oregon offense will start first, with the drive starting at their own 20-yard line. The second-to-last college football game of the season is underway.
‘College GameDay’ picks for Indiana-Oregon
Each of ESPN’s Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit picked Indiana to beat Oregon and advance to the CFP Championship game.
Why is Mark Cuban at Peach Bowl?
Billionaire mogul Mark Cuban is an Indiana graduate and is on deck for the Hoosiers’ game against Oregon at the Peach Bowl.
Is Noah Whittington playing tonight?
Oregon running back Noah Whittington is listed as a game-time decision, per the CFP pregame availability report. However, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports he’s expected to play, although he won’t start.
Roman Hemby stats
Indiana running back Roman Hemby has been one of the most productive rushers in the Big Ten this season and is a 5-year starter dating back to his time at Maryland. Here’s his stats in 2025:
- Rushing: 194 carries for 1,007 yards with seven touchdowns (5.2 yards per carry)
- Receiving: 14 receptions for 160 yards
What channel is Peach Bowl on tonight?
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)
The CFP Peach Bowl semifinal between Indiana and Oregon will air nationally on ESPN, with Sean McDonough (play-by-play) and Greg McElroy (analyst) calling the game and Molly McGrath serving as the sideline reporter.
Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app (with a cable login) and Fubo, the latter of which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
Announcers for Peach Bowl
ESPN’s Sean McDonough will handle play-by-play with Greg McElory providing color analysis.
Peach Bowl Indiana vs Oregon start time today
- Date: Friday, Jan. 9
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Indiana and Oregon are scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Peach Bowl prediction: Indiana vs Oregon picks, odds
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Sunday, Jan. 4
- Spread: Indiana (-4)
- Over/under: 48.5
- Moneyline: Indiana (-190) | Oregon (+160)
Prediction: Indiana 31, Oregon 20
Indiana feels like the team of destiny right now and is coming off a masterful performance against Alabama. That said, the Hoosiers defeat the Ducks again behind a strong performance from Fernando Mendoza and their run game. Indiana also forces Dante Moore to a pair of turnovers.
Here’s who experts within the USA TODAY Sports Network picked to win the Peach Bowl:
- Indiana 35, Oregon 21: The Hoosiers’ 30-20 win over the Ducks in Eugene in October started to convert IU doubters into believers. Indiana’s Rose Bowl demolition of Alabama proselytized even the most ardent skeptics (cough, Paul Finebaum). The Hoosiers’ defense sacked Dante Moore six times and picked off the Ducks QB twice in the first meeting. And while Oregon shut out a piddling Texas Tech offense in the Orange Bowl, Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza leads one of the nation’s most balanced attacks. It sounds unbelievable to say, but Indiana football will play for the national championship. – Matt Glenesk, USA TODAY
- Indiana 20, Oregon 17: Going with the old Vegas trick of laying three points on the favorite in a coin flip of a game. Oregon is an incredibly good team, and as Curt Cignetti said after the Rose Bowl, it’s tough to beat a good team twice. But it’s tougher to beat a great team once, and Indiana is a great team. Ultimately, Fernando Mendoza vs Dante Moore isn’t the matchup here. It’s in the trenches, where Indiana is among the best in the country, and weapons vs weapons. Stars matter, but Indiana is comprised of under-recruited guys with a chip on their shoulders. With that in mind, Indiana wins a grimy game in a low-scoring affair against Dan Lanning, turning the coach’s ‘no one believes in us’ motivating tactic on its head (of course, the irony of not believing in Oregon here is not lost on me). – Kevin Skiver, USA TODAY
- Indiana 24, Oregon 20: The old adage about how it’s hard to beat a team twice in a season has its merits, but it can occasionally belie a deeper truth — sometimes, one team is simply better than another. Whatever fans may think of Indiana football based on the program’s mostly putrid history, the Hoosiers are the best and most complete team in the sport this season, as they showed in a Rose Bowl demolition of Alabama. They’ll stymie a Ducks offense that had difficulties against Texas Tech’s front seven and Fernando Mendoza will continue to dazzle while leading Indiana to a once-unimaginable destination. – Craig Meyer, USA TODAY
Peach Bowl injury updates: Who is out for Oregon vs Indiana
∎ For Oregon: The initial availability report for the game came out Tuesday and the Ducks had 14 players listed as out, including running back Jordon Davison, who is the team’s No. 2 rusher with 667 yards and top scorer with 15 TDs. Also out with injuries are wide receiver Evan Stewart, offensive tackle Gernorris Wilson and running back Da’Jaun Riggs.
Eight of the players listed as out are those who have entered the transfer portal: defensive backs Daylen Austin, Kingston Lopa, Sione Laulea and Solomon Davis; running backs Makhi Hughes and Jayden Limar; and wide receivers Justius Lowe and Kyler Kasper.
∎ For Indiana: The Hoosiers will be without defensive linemen Andrew DePaepe, Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt; defensive backs Amariyun Knighten and Bryson Bonds; and kicker Brendan Franke. Knighten and DePaepe are in the transfer portal.
When is the Peach Bowl kickoff: Indiana vs Oregon time, date
The Peach Bowl is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 9.
Where is the Peach Bowl played?
The Peach Bowl is at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
Who’s in CFP Championship game?
Here’s a full look at who has advanced to the CFP championship game:
- No. 10 Miami
- TBD
When is national championship game?
The College Football Playoff national championship game is 7:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 19
Where is the national championship game?
The College Football Playoff national championship game is at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
