No. 7 Indiana came up with the signature win of head coach Curt Cignetti’s 1 1/2-year tenure, going into Eugene, Ore., and upsetting No. 3 Oregon 30-20 on Saturday afternoon.
The Ducks’ high-volume offense managed just 13 points against Indiana (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten), whose defense held Oregon to 14 first downs and 3 of 14 on third downs.
Oregon (5-1, 2-1) saw the nation’s longest active regular-season winning streak (23) and home winning streak (18) come to an end. The Ducks had not lost in the regular season since Oct. 14, 2023, against Washington.
Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza made up for a fourth-quarter pick-6 with a go-ahead touchdown pass with 6:23 to go, and Louis Moore intercepted Oregon quarterback Dante Moore seconds later.
Indiana used the field position for a game-sealing 22-yard field goal from Brendan Franke with 2:06 to play. Isaiah Jones intercepted Moore with 2:01 to play to put the final seal on the win.
The Hoosiers took a 27-20 lead on Mendoza’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt on a third-and-goal. Mendoza marched Indiana 75 yards down the field after the Ducks had intercepted him for a touchdown to tie the game at 20.
Brandon Finney stepped in front of an off-balance Mendoza throw under heavy pressure and took the ball 35 yards into the end zone for Oregon with 12:42 to play.
Indiana’s defense, which held one of the nation’s most prolific offenses to 267 total yards, finished the job by intercepting Moore for the first time with 6:03 to play.
Mendoza finished 20-of-31 passing for 215 yards. Roman Hemby rushed for a pair of touchdowns and 70 yards on 19 carries and Sarratt caught eight passes for 121 yards and a TD.
Moore completed 21 of 34 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown, thrown 44 yards to Malik Benson for a 7-3 Ducks’ lead in the first quarter. Moore was under pressure often as Indiana sacked him six times while Oregon’s defense managed just one sack of Mendoza.
–Field Level Media
