SCORE BY QUARTERS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
FINAL
3
3
7
10
23
0
0
0
0
0
Attendance:
65,021
Kickoff Time:
12:11 p.m. ET
End of Game:
3:38 p.m. ET
Game Duration:
3:27
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The first thing that Oregon quarterback Dante Moore did after winning the Orange Bowl was salute the thousands of fans who made the cross-country trip to South Florida.
If the Ducks’ defense keeps playing like this, those fans might be back in Miami before long.
Matayo Uiagalelei caused a fumble to set up an Oregon touchdown, freshman Brandon Finney Jr. had three takeaways — two interceptions and a fumble recovery — and the fifth-seeded Ducks silenced No. 4 Texas Tech’s offense for a 23-0 win in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Orange Bowl on Thursday.
“They’ve earned this opportunity,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “I told them go get their pound of flesh today. They did that today.”
Jordon Davison rushed for two scores, Moore threw for 234 yards and Atticus Sappington kicked three field goals for Oregon (13-1), which will play either No. 1 Indiana or No. 9 Alabama in the Peach Bowl — a CFP semifinal — on Jan. 9.
The Peach Bowl winner will be back in Miami Gardens for the national title game on Jan. 19.
“I believe we have the best defense in the country,” Finney said.
Texas Tech — which finished at 12-2 — came into the day second nationally in points per game (42.5) and fifth nationally in yards per game (480.3) but got absolutely nothing going. The Red Raiders turned the ball over four times, were stopped on fourth downs three other times and had four three-and-outs.
“Texas Tech fans, I’m sorry that we let you down,” coach Joey McGuire said. “I hope you’ve enjoyed every second of this year. Man, this was such a special team and I’m so proud of them. Hats off to Dan Lanning. Hats off to the Oregon Ducks. Just an incredible football team … and I told Dan after the game I hope he wins the whole damn thing.”
Tech quarterback Behren Morton — who finished 18 of 32 passing for just 137 yards — was stripped by Uiagalelei early in the third quarter in Red Raider territory. Uiagalelei rumbled deep into the red zone and Davison scored one play later to make it 13-0.
Morton threw a red-zone interception early in the fourth quarter and a fourth-down stop from their own 30 midway through the fourth quarter doomed whatever comeback chances existed for the Red Raiders. Davison plunged in from the 1 with 16 seconds left to cap the scoring.
“We had a great game plan,” Morton said. “We just didn’t execute base plays.”
And once again, a CFP bye meant a team went bye-bye.
It was the sixth quarterfinal under this 12-team tournament format that started last year — there were two others coming later Thursday — and the sixth time that the team coming off an extended break lost to a team that played a first-round game.
In 2024, Boise State (against Penn State), Arizona State (against Texas), Georgia (against Notre Dame) and Oregon (against Ohio State) all went out in the quarterfinals after first-round byes. Miami added to that list Wednesday night, beating Ohio State in a quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl. In those six games, including Thursday, the team with the bye has held the lead for less than five minutes — combined — of regulation.
Texas Tech thought it could avoid that fate. It could not, and Oregon finished off its first shutout of an AP-ranked opponent since 2012. Oregon was playing a top-10 team for the 113th time — and for the first time, allowed zero points.
Oregon played James Madison in Round 1 this year, winning 51-34, and generally was unhappy afterward with how it played defensively.
There wasn’t anything to not like from that side of the ball on Thursday.
“Last week a lot of people talked about our defense,” Lanning said. “They showed up today.”
SCORING SUMMARY
QTR
TIME
SCORE
(V-H)
TEAM
SCORING PLAY
DRIVE
1st
10:41
3-0
Oregon
Atticus Sappington 50 yd FG
10-43
(4:19)
2nd
01:33
6-0
Oregon
Atticus Sappington 39 yd FG
4-8
(0:56)
3rd
11:20
13-0
Oregon
Jordon Davison 6 yd TD rush (PAT kick by Atticus Sappington good)
1-6
(0:00)
4th
07:53
16-0
Oregon
Atticus Sappington 43 yd FG
10-55
(5:55)
4th
00:16
23-0
Oregon
Jordan Davison 1 yd TD rush (PAT kick by Atticus Sappington godd)
8-28
(2:54)
–
OREGON STARTERS
POS.
NO.
OFFENSE
WR
4
Malik Benson
QB
5
Dante Moore
RB
6
Noah Whittington
TE
9
Jamari Johnson
WR
11
Jeremiah McClellan
TE
18
Kenyon Sadiq
OL
71
Alex Harkey
OL
72
Iapani Laloulu
OL
74
Dave Iuli
OL
75
Emmanuel Pregnon
OL
76
Isaiah World
POS.
NO.
DEFENSE
DL
1
Bear Alexander
DB
4
Brandon Finney Jr.
DB
7
Ify Obidegwu
LB
10
Matayo Uiagalelei
DB
21
Aaron Flowers
DB
22
Jadon Canady
LB
28
Bryce Boettcher
DB
31
Dillon Thieneman
LB
44
Teitum Tuioti
DL
52
A’Mauri Washington
LB
54
Jerry Mixon
OREGON RESERVES
0 – Jordon Davison, 1 – Dakorien Moore, 2 – Gary Bryant Jr., 5 – Theran Johnson, 9 – Blake Purchase, 12 – Peyton Woodyard, 13 – Gavin Nix, 14 – Na’eem Offord, 20 – Makhi Hughes, 23 – Brayden Platt, 23 – Duerre Hill Jr., 24 – Zach Grisham, 26 – Devon Jackson, 27 – Jayden Limar, 29 – Ashton Porter, 30 – Xavier Barksdale, 32 – Nasir Wyatt, 34 – Cruz Rushing, 36 – Atticus Sappington, 38 – Will Straton, 39 – Cormac O’Flaherty, 42 – Aydin Breland, 44 – Zach Grace, 46 – James Ferguson-Reynolds, 50 – Tionne Gray, 55 – Matthew Johnson, 55 – Douglas Utu, 56 – Trent Ferguson, 59 – Fox Crader, 70 – Charlie Pickard, 73 – Kawika Rogers, 77 – Jericho Johnson, 83 – Roger Saleapaga, 89 – Brady Bidwell, 99 – Terrance Green.
TEXAS TECH STARTERS
POS.
NO.
OFFENSE
WR
1
Reggie Virgil
QB
2
Behren Morton
WR
3
Coy Eakin
WR
5
Caleb Douglas
TE
7
Terrance Carter Jr.
RB
20
J’Koby Williams
OL
56
Davion Carter
OL
70
Jacob Ponton
OL
72
Sheridan Wilson
OL
76
Will Jados
OL
79
Howard Sampson
POS.
NO.
DEFENSE
DT
2
Lee Hunter
S
5
Cole Wisniewski
LB
6
John Curry
DB
7
Brenden Jordan
DE
9
Romello Height
LB
10
Jacob Rodriguez
LB
13
Ben Roberts
CB
14
Brice Pollock
CB
27
Amier Boyd
LB
31
David Bailey
DL
33
A.J.Holmes Jr.
TEXAS TECH
3 – Bryce Ramirez, 6 – Kelby Valsin, 8 – Cameron Dickey, 8 – E’Maurion ‘Banks, 9 – Johncarlos Miller II, 11 – Charles Esters III, 11 – Tyson Turner, 12 – Macho Stevenson, 14 – Micah Hudson, 16 – Ashton Hampton, 18 – Terrell Tilmon, 19 – Haydon Wiginton, 20 – Dontae Balfour, 22 – Marcus Ramon-Edwards, 23 – Tarrion Grant, 24 – Malik Esquerra, 25 – Chapman Lewis, 28 – Oliver Miles III, 29 – Chief Collins, 30 – Mikal Harrison-Pilot, 34 – Trent Low, 35 – Gage Elder, 39 – Luke Dillingham, 40 – Wesley Smith, 41 – Jack Burgess, 45 – Brock Golwas, 48 – Stone Harrington, 51 – Jayden Cofield, 66 – Jackson Hildebrand, 71 – Vinny Sciury, 74 – Daniel Sill, 84 – Michael Dever, 88 – Amier Washington, 90 – Ansel Nedore, 94 – Braylon Rigsby.
