Peachy Night in Atlanta: Indiana Destroys Oregon 56–22, Storms Into National Championship Game

Pick-sixes, blocked punts, and a flawless playoff run propel undefeated Hoosiers past Oregon in a Peach Bowl rout at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

ATLANTA | What unfolded Friday night inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium was not just a College Football Playoff semifinal. It was a statement.

The Indiana Hoosiers delivered a 56–22 demolition of the Oregon Ducks in the Peach Bowl, punctuating an unprecedented postseason surge that has Indiana playing the most dominant football in the country.

From the opening seconds, this game tilted sharply in cream and crimson.

Eleven seconds into the contest, All-American defensive back D’Angelo Ponds jumped a read, intercepted Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, and raced untouched for a pick-six that detonated the stadium and stunned the Ducks.

Moments earlier, All-America linebacker Aiden Fisher had been prowling the field with a visible edge, setting a physical tone that would define the night. Oregon never recovered.

The Hoosiers’ dominance wasn’t limited to star power. Thirty-four minutes in, All-Big Ten center Pat Coogan alertly recovered a fumble after quarterback Fernando Mendoza scrambled 18 yards. That recovery set up a third-quarter touchdown pass to E.J. Williams Jr., effectively ending Oregon’s last gasp.