5 takeaways from Oregon Ducks' embarrassing loss to Indiana in CFP

Waking up for Oregon Duck fans may have been more difficult than going to sleep on Friday night after a 56-22 trouncing in the Peach Bowl at the hands of the Indiana Hoosiers.

At least there was likely the assistance of exhaustion, and potentially an adult beverage or two to lend a hand after the game. On Saturday morning, though, just the cold reality that, for a second-straight year, Oregon's season has ended in embarrassing fashion in the College Football Playoff.

All credit to Indiana, who played a flawless game, converting 11-of-14 third downs, turning the ball over zero times, and converting Oregon's four turnovers into 28 points.

It was the type of performance you expect from a championship team in the biggest moments, a standard that the Ducks once again fell short of.

As we get ready to put a bow on this season and head forward to the offseason, diving into the transfer portal and slew of NFL decisions to come, it's worth going back through this one to dive deep into what took place and what we can learn from the few positives and many negatives. Here's a look at our seven biggest takeaways from the game:

A Familiar Pain

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time Oregon Duck fans have woken up with this feeling, knowing their season is over and feeling both embarrassed and frustrated with how it ended.

It's not the second time, either.

While Oregon has been among the best teams in college football over the past couple of decades, the highest achievement has eluded them. The Ducks are still searching for that first national championship, and after the way the last two seasons have ended, it's fair for fans to wonder when it will ever come.

The grass is said to be damn green in Eugene, but at some point, it's got to grow into something.

Going into this game, Oregon fans had high hopes. While early confidence had subsided a bit thanks to news of injury and depth issues, particularly at the running back spot, there was a belief that in a rematch against Indiana, the Ducks could find vengeance. You don't have to look back very far to see how difficult it is to beat someone twice in a season, so if Dante Moore could play a clean game, and the defense could carry over momentum from the CFP quarterfinal shutout over Texas Tech, a trip to the national championship seemed doable.

After one single play, that optimism turned to dread, as D'Angelo Ponds intercepted Moore's opening pass and returned it for a touchdown. Things got worse from there, as the Ducks went on to turn the ball over three more times and largely stood by while the Hoosiers stole the moment.

It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling for Oregon fans, looking on as they saw yet another promising season end short of the ultimate goal. In the end, many either left the stadium or turned off their television sets, uttering the same four words that they said last year, and many years before that:

"There's always next year."

Dante Moore in a Big Moment

Back in October, when the Hoosiers came to Eugene, Dante Moore struggled. He threw two interceptions, struggled to identify pressures, and was sacked six times by Indiana. Afterwards, he said he made the moment bigger than it needed to be, which threw him out of rhythm early in the game. It was by far his worst performance of the year.

Until Friday night.

Once again, Indiana gave Moore fits, and I'd imagine that for much of the game, the Ducks' redshirt sophomore quarterback felt like he was living a nightmare, rather than playing in a football game.

From the start, things were as bad as you could possibly imagine. Moore's first pass attempt of the game, on the first play from scrimmage, was intercepted by D'Angelo Ponds and taken back 25 yards for a touchdown. While Moore did a good job of settling in and led a 15-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in response, the glimmer of hope provided to fans was fleeting.

Following the TD drive, Oregon went 3-and-out and had to punt. Their next time with the ball, Moore tried to execute a run-of-the-mill RPO with Dierre Hill, where he threw a smoke screen to the field side. However, his wind-up clipped Hill, and he fumbled the ball. Another punt followed, and then, trailing 28-7, Moore was sacked, with the ball knocked loose for his third turnover in less than two quarters.

In the end, the Oregon QB completed 24 of 39 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns. However, those three turnovers and three sacks paint a clearer picture of what happened in this game.

The loss is not squarely on Moore. Football is a team game, and it takes all 11 guys to play cohesively in order to find success. But it starts with the quarterback, and on Friday night, Moore was nowhere near good enough to win the game.

Fernando 'HeisMendoza'

Sometimes, you just have to give credit where it's due. Fernando Mendoza has been incredible all season, well-deserving of the Heisman Trophy, and he was incredible once again on Friday night. The Indiana quarterback finished with five touchdown passes on 17-of-20 completions, with 177 yards. He also added 28 yards on the ground with his legs.

Time and again, when Oregon seemed like it had a glimmer of hope or a small window of opportunity to build momentum, Mendoza showed up. Whether it was a perfectly placed ball to the sideline and a picturesque back-shoulder dime to Elijah Sarratt, there was no stopping No. 15 in this game. He played a near-perfect game, and sometimes you just have to respect the outcome.

All season long, Indiana's success has had an inevitable feeling to it. On Friday night, Mendoza was inevitable.

Hat Tip to Jay Harris

With the injuries that Oregon was dealing with in the backfield leading up to this game, it was clear that somebody was going to have to step up. And while he was already officially in the transfer portal, Jay Harris stuck around and provided the Ducks a bit of offense when they needed it.

The former Division II star from Missouri State learned after the Texas Tech game that his role would be increasing due to injury, and he turned into the bellcow back for Oregon, with Noah Whittington dealing with a litany of injuries and Jordon Davison undergoing surgery for a broken collarbone. And with the ball in his hands, he looked dynamic and explosive.

"He's the guy that always shows up to work every single day, grinds, works his ass off, and was really happy for him in this moment," offensive coordinator Will Stein said after the game.

Harris finished the game with 16 carries for 35 yards and a touchdown, while adding three catches for 32 yards. It may not have been enough to lift the Ducks to victory, but it was a respectable effort in a game where Oregon needed him, and it was undoubtedly enough to earn him a nice little pay raise in the transfer portal this offseason.

The 2026 Returners

As with anything in life, there is usually a silver lining in a bad situation if you care to look for it. I understand if a large portion of the Oregon fanbase is not ready to look for the silver lining in this game just yet, and I don’t blame you. However, I think there is one. 

In a year where so many star players on the Ducks’ roster are faced with a decision to jump to the NFL or come back for another year, I have a feeling that Friday night’s blowout loss will encourage more than a few to return. 

Iapani Laloulu and Bear Alexander have already stated that they will be back in 2026. Dante Moore has a massive decision to make, as he could be a top-5 or top-10 pick should he declare. What about Matayo Uiagalelei? Dillon Thieneman? A’Mauri Washington? Kenyon Sadiq? Was that 56-22 loss motivation enough for them to want to sign a new NIL deal at Oregon and return to Eugene one more time, chasing a championship?

I asked Uiagalelei last night, and he said he still hadn’t made a decision. Moore said that he planned to talk things over with his family in the coming days. Sadiq, a projected first-round pick, cited “unfinished business” when discussing his future. 

Even without those players, Oregon is going to be really talented next season, with a fairly young roster making the move to upperclassmen. The upside is there. If you add in even a few of these guys who want one more bite at the apple, the prospects are intriguing. 

Take your time and let the grief process commence for this latest Oregon loss. But when you’re ready, there’s reason to be excited about the future in Eugene. 

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: 5 takeaways from Oregon Ducks's blowout loss to Indiana in CFP