CFP Semifinals Report Card: Ducks get subpar grades after blowout loss

The season is over for the Oregon Ducks. A season that was largely seen as national championship or bust ended in the College Football Playoff Semifinals, as the Ducks fell to the Indiana Hoosiers, 56-22.

It was as disappointing of a performance that the program has had in precisely... 374 days. On New Years Day, 2025, the Ducks found themselves down 34-8 at halftime to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the CFP Quarterfinals. This year, they found themselves down 35-7 at halftime, with déjà vu setting in for the entire Oregon program and its fanbase.

There wasn't a single position group that put together a solid performance as a whole, with every group faltering in one way or another in contributing to the defeat.

The Oregon program set national championship standards and expectations for itself before and during the 2025 season. They did not meet that standard on Friday night in Atlanta — far from it.

For those reasons, our post-semifinals report card features zero sugar coating.

Quarterbacks

Grade: D-

On the very surface, Dante Moore's final statline (24-for-39, 285 yards, 2 touchdowns) doesn't look bad. In fact, it's probably considered a great game. But, of course, that doesn't account for an interception and two lost fumbles, as Moore was completely off his game right from the first play. The Ducks' signal-caller single-handedly gave the Hoosiers 21 points in the first half, something that the Ducks couldn't work back from. He was extremely rattled, getting the ball out too quickly at certain points and holding onto the football for far too long at other moments. It begins and ends with the quarterback, and with the season on the line in the CFP Semifinals, Moore put forth as subpar of a performance as he's had all season.

Running Backs

Grade: C+

Considering that the offensive line didn't get much push and that this group was down to three scholarship players, it's hard to fault Noah Whittington, Dierre Hill Jr. and Jay Harris too much. As it turned out, Whittington was a non-factor, leaving Harris in a feature role. The 2023 Division-II All-American turned 19 touches into 68 yards and a touchdown, by far his best game as a Duck. Hill broke free for a 71-yard gain in the second half, showing his vision and explosiveness. The issues with the running back room wasn't the problem for Oregon, as Harris and Hill battled.

Wide Receiver/Tight Ends

Grade: C

It's difficult to give this group anything above a C when most of their damage was done when the game was essentially over and the Hoosiers were in prevent defense. Once again, tight end Jamari Johnson staked his claim as one of the top tight ends in the 2027 draft class, catching four passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. He's now led the team in receiving yards in three games, the same mark as Kenyon Sadiq. Wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan made a spectacular downfield catch, finishing up a solid redshirt freshman campaign with five catches for 64 yards. Against Indiana's No. 1 corner D'Amgelo Ponds, Malik Benson disappointed with just two catches for 23 yards.

Offensive Lineman

Grade: D

After giving up six sacks against Indiana in Week 7, you'd think giving up three sacks in the second matchup would be considered a success. Wrong. In the first half, there was just as much, if not more pressure on Moore than in the first matchup. Yes, he did hang onto the ball longer than he should've multiple times, but this unit didn't do their job in pass protection. The rushing attack wasn't much better, as they allowed 10 tackles for loss by the Hoosiers. Take away Hill's 71-yard run and Moore's sack yardage that counts against the rushing total, the Ducks' running backs managed just 50 yards on 20 carries, good for 2.5 yards per carry. That's far from good enough, leading to the offensive line's second time this season getting flat out dominated by Indiana.

Defensive Lineman

Grade: D

The lack of sacks from this defensive line continued against the Hoosiers, as they managed to take down Fernando Mendoza just one time and failed to provide much pressure. Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti were non-factors on the edges, combining for just four tackles. A'Mauri Washington and Bear Alexander didn't do much to help the interior, as the Hoosiers rushed the ball 40 times for 185 yards and two touchdowns. After as good of a performance that we've seen from this Ducks front four against Texas Tech, this no-show was very unexpected.

Linebackers

Grade: B-

For much of the first half, it seemed like linebacker Bryce Boettcher was the only Duck flying around on the defensive side of the ball. He finished with a team-high 11 tackles, yet another contest in which he had the team-high. All throughout, he played with a fire that his teammates simply didn't have, including fellow linebacker Jerry Mixon. The junior contributed just three tackles, another letdown for the Ducks.

Secondary

Grade: C-

Whether the Indiana wide receivers were covered or not, they made impressive catches over the Oregon secondary. They were just better with the ball in the air, as Charlie Becker caught a touchdown on Brandon Finney Jr.'s head after beating him off the line on a fade route and Elijah Sarratt caught several back-shoulder throws in which the Ducks were in a solid position. It's hard to say there was a talent difference here, as the Ducks outnumber the Hoosiers in five- and four-stars here, but there was an ability gap. The Hoosiers pass catches won the battle in emphatic fashion, as Mendoza had less incompletions (three) than touchdown passes (five).

Special Teams

Grade: C-

Not quite sure why Dan Lanning trotted out kicker Atticus Sappington for what would have been a career-long 56-yard field goal, as it landed at least five feet short of the goal post. So, not a huge fault to Sappington there. But punter James Ferguson-Reynolds getting a punt blocked in Oregon territory was the cherry on top to the Ducks being dominated in every phase of the game by the Hoosiers.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks receive low grades in CFP Semifinals loss