CFP Quarterfinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl Recap
Score by Quarters
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #5 Oregon (13-1) | 3 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 23 |
| #4 Texas Tech (12-2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
PLAYER OF THE GAME
PLAYER OF THE GAME
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) |
Team Statistics
| ORE | TTU | |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 16 | 9 |
| Rushing | 3 | 4 |
| Passing | 11 | 5 |
| Penalty | 2 | 0 |
| Rushes-Yards | 47-64 | 30-78 |
| Passing Yards | 245 | 137 |
| Passes Comp-Att-Int | 27-34-1 | 18-32-2 |
| Total Offense (Plays-Yards) | 81-309 | 62-215 |
| Punt Returns-Yards | 1-28 | 0-0 |
| Kickoff Returns-Yards | 0-0 | 2-35 |
| Punts (Number-Avg) | 2-36.0 | 4-44.5 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 3-0 | 2-2 |
| Sacks By (Number-Yards) | 4-39 | 2-22 |
| Penalties-Yards | 3-25 | 6-36 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 4-of-19 | 6-of-16 |
| 4th Down Conversions | 4-of-8 | 0-of-3 |
Individual Statistics
| ORE | TTU | |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing | Jordon Davison, 15-42, 2 TD; Noah Whittington, 13-31; Dierre Hill Jr., 5-13; Jayden Limar, 3-3; Dante Moore, 10- -12. | J'Koby Williams, 13-81; Cameron Dickey, 11-29; Behren Morton, 6- -32. |
| Passing | Dante Moore, 26-33-1, 234; James Ferguson-Reynolds, 1-1-0, 11. | Behren Morton, 18-32-2, 137. |
| Receiving | Malik Benson, 5-51; Jamari Johnson, 4-66; Kenyon Sadiq, 4-22; Dakorien Moore, 3-21; Dierre Hill Jr., 3-3; Jeremiah McClellan, 2-13; Noah Whittington, 2-10; Jayden Limar, 1-27; Jordon Davison, 1-14; Teitum Tuioti, 1-11; Gary Bryant Jr., 1-7. | Terrance Carter Jr., 9-72; J'Koby Williams, 5-17; Reggie Virgil, 2-29; Coy Eakin, 1-11; Cameron Dickey, 1-8. |
| Punting | James Ferguson-Reynolds, 2-72, 36.0. | Jack Burgess, 4-178, 44.5. |
| Returns | Punt: Malik Benson, 1-28; Kickoff: None; Intercept: Brandon Finney Jr., 2-2. | Punt: None; Kickoff: J'Koby Williams, 2-35; Intercept: Ben Roberts, 1-8. |
| Field Goals | Atticus Sappington, 3-4 (50 Good, 39 Good, 43 Good, 36 Missed). | Stone Harrington, 0-1 (54 Missed). |
| Tackles (Solo-Assist-Total, Sacks-Yds, TFL-Yds) |
Bryce Boettcher (6-6-12, 0, 0); Dillon Thieneman (6-6-12, 0, 1-1); Brandon Finney Jr. (4-2-6, 0, 0); Teitum Tuioti (6-0-6, 2-22, 2-22); Jerry Mixon (4-0-4, 0, 1-1); Devon Jackson (1-3-4, 0, 0); Aaron Flowers (3-0-3, 0, 0); Matayo Uiagalelei (1-1-2, 1-9, 1-9); Jadon Canady (1-1-2, 0, 1-1); Blake Purchase (2-0-2, 1-8, 1-8); Bear Alexander (0-1-1, 0, 0); Theran Johnson (0-1-1, 0, 0); Jericho Johnson (0-1-1, 0, 0); Will Straton (1-0-1, 0, 0); Iapani Laloulu (0-1-1, 0, 0); Terrance Green (0-1-1, 0, 0). | Ben Roberts (8-8-16, 0, 1-2); Jacob Rodriguez (2-9-11, 0, 0); Brenden Jordan (7-2-9, 0, 1-1); David Bailey (5-4-9, 1-12, 2-13); Lee Hunter (5-2-7, 0, 2-4); Amier Boyd (3-4-7, 0, 1-2); Cole Wisniewski (4-2-6, 0, 1-4); John Curry (2-3-5, 0, 0); Romello Height (3-2-5, 1-10, 1-10); A.J. Holmes Jr. (2-1-3, 0, 0); Brice Pollock (2-0-2, 0, 0); Behren Morton (1-0-1, 0, 1-9); E'Maurion 'Banks (1-0-1, 0, 0); Terrell Tilmon (0-1-1, 0, 0); Luke Dillingham (1-0-1, 0, 0). |
Starters & Reserves
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 Reserves
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.
