ATLANTA – Prior to facing No. 5 Oregon in the College Football Playoff Semifinal, Curt Cignetti hammered home how difficult it is to beat a good team twice. He knew that the No. 1 Hoosiers would need their best to get by the Ducks again, and his team answered the call. They cruised to a 56-22 win and punched their ticket to their first national championship game in program history.
Playing before a capacity crowd that was at least 85% pro-Indiana, the Hoosiers stormed out of the gates red-hot. Cornerback D’Angelo Ponds intercepted Oregon quarterback Dante Moore on the first play from scrimmage, returning it 25 yards to the end zone and prompting a deafening roar from the cream and crimson-clad fans.
Ponds’ pick-six set the tone for the evening, as Indiana went on to score 28 points off of four Oregon turnovers. Moore finishes the season with three multi-turnover games, two of which came against Indiana.
“Our coaches do a good job of putting together a game plan for us,” Ponds said. “Each week they put us in the right positions, and we buy into what they’re saying. That’s what makes us so successful.”
After sacking the Oregon signal-caller three times in Friday’s game, the Hoosiers accounted for nine of 14 sacks given up by the Ducks’ offensive line this season. Once again filling in for the injured Stephen Daley, edge rusher Daniel Ndukwe led the way with a pair of sacks, while the Hoosiers tallied 10 total tackles for loss. Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines’ gameplan was, as it was in October when Indiana held Oregon without an offensive touchdown in the second half, masterful.
“He allowed us to play free and vertical,” defensive tackle Tyrique Tucker said of Haines. “That’s all you can ask for as a defensive lineman. His recipe for success, he’s unmatched.”
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw more touchdown passes than incompletions for the fifth time this season, a feat which no other quarterback has accomplished more than twice since 2000. He was 17-for-20 passing, throwing for 177 yards and five touchdowns while adding 28 yards on the ground. After another surgical performance, he heads to Miami, his hometown, in search of a National Championship.
“Hoosier Nation, the coaching staff and the entire support staff have given me so much opportunity here,” Mendoza said. “So much belief in my character and my play, not only as a player, but also as a leader. I’m forever in debt.”
Elijah Sarratt led all Indiana receivers with seven catches for 75 yards and a pair of touchdown snags, while Omar Cooper Jr., Charlie Becker and E.J. Williams Jr. also hauled in touchdowns of their own. Friday marked the seventh game in which both Sarratt and Cooper Jr. caught touchdown passes.
In addition to providing Mendoza plenty of clean pockets from which to operate, Indiana’s offensive line opened numerous running lanes for Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black. The latter led the way with 12 carries for 63 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Indiana averaged 4.6 yards per rush as a team, a marked improvement after it averaged just 3.0 yards per carry in its regular-season meeting with Oregon in October.
“What we do well at, in general, is improving on our past mistakes,” center Pat Coogan said. “Watching film from October and knowing what we have to improve on, and knowing that we can, because it’s within our abilities. We take that onto the practice field, and we get better.”
Coogan transferred to Indiana from Notre Dame after the Irish fell to Ohio State in the 2025 National Championship game. One year later, he is 60 minutes away from finishing his college career as a respected leader on what would be the first 16-0 college football team in over 100 years.
“I’m super blessed,” Coogan said. “Grateful to be here, grateful for the experience. That loss (to Ohio State) has shaped me into the man I am today, there’s no doubt about it. I can’t say I’m grateful for losing, but it’s part of my journey, and every part of my journey has led me here.”
The National Championship is set: No. 1 Indiana (15-0) will face No. 10 Miami (13-2) at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
“There’s always things to improve,” Mendoza said. “Especially for the National Championship game. It’s important not to dwell on the past. That was a great performance. This is the National Championship.”
