It was a battle of top 10 teams when the #7 Indiana Hoosiers came to visit the #3 Oregon Ducks. In what was clearly the toughest test each team has faced this season….
Here’s how it went down.
Quarter 1
Oregon got the ball to start the game and seemed to have something going gaining 21 yards before Jordon Davidson would be stopped on 4th and 1 at Oregon’s own 46. Indiana would take over and their first play from scrimmage was a 24-yard strike from Fernando Mendoza to Elijah Sarratt moving up to the Oregon 22.
The Duck Defense allowed only 3 yards on 3 plays before a false start penaly on 4th down forced the Hoosiers to settle for the 42 yard field goal from Nico Radicic. Indiana up 3-0.
Oregon would go 3-and-out before forcing Indian to do the same. Oregon would start their next drive at near midfield and only take 3 plays for Dante Moore to find Malik Benson for the 44 yard touchdown pass. Ducks lead 7-3.
Indiana would answer right back on a drive that started with 4 consecutive gains of 10+ yards. Mendoza would convert 3rd and 4 from the Duck 17 by racing up the middle to the Oregon 3. Roman Hemby punched in the next play to put Indiana back on top 10-7.
Quarter 2
The Ducks started the second quarter with a 5-play, 53-yard drive capped by an Atticus Sappington field goal. Tied 10-10.
Both teams would punt on their next possession before the Ducks offense got into gear and marched from their own 11 deep into Indiana territory. The drive would stall inside the 20 when Sappington missed the 36 yard field goal try.
Trying to steal the lead before the half, Indiana moved from their own 20 to the Oregon 40 in two plays, helped by a pass interference call on the Ducks. Kickoff specialist Brendan Franke would land an Autzen-record 58-yard field goal to give the Hoosiers the lead at the half, 13-10.
Quarter 3
Indiana got the ball to start the second half and could get nothing done with it, going three and out. Oregon’s ensuing drive would be only 4 plays before they punted back, pinning Indiana at their own 2. Afte their punt, the Ducks would tie the game with a 33-yard field goal by Sappington. 13-13
The Hoosiers next drive would be helped by a pair of defensive pass interference calls, the second of which gave Indiana first and goal from the 2. Hemby would score the next play putting Indiana back up 20-13.
Quarter 4
Oregon would fail to get anything going on their next drive, being forced to punt back to Indiana. Mendoza’s pas attempt on 3rd and 2 would be picked by Brandon Finney Jr and returned 35 yards for a pick-6. Scored tied 20-20.
The Ducks were unable to turn that pick 6 into any kind of momentum as the Hoosiers would take the ball on the ensuring kick-off drive the length of the field and immedieately restore the 7 point lead. 27-20
For the first time in the 2nd half the offense would need to provide an answer to get the Ducks back in the game but a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage gave Indiana the ball with the opportunity to ice the game and they would do just that. Killing the clock, forcing Oregon to use all 3 timeouts and kicking a field goal to make it a 2 possession game with just over 2 minutes left in the game. 30-20
Oregon’s desperation to keep the game alive would end in a 2nd straight interception and that was curtain for the game and the Ducks hopes of remaining undefeated.
