Quick thoughts on IU Football’s 30-20 win against Oregon at Autzen Stadium in front of 59,625 fans:
Key plays for the Hoosiers
Hemby’s touchdown run finishes the 75-yard drive
After Oregon took the lead 7-3 on a 44-yard pass from Dante Moore to Malik Benson, Indiana needed a response.
The Hoosiers got one on their ensuing drive.
Roman Hemby’s three-yard touchdown run capped a nine-play drive over five minutes and put IU back in front of the Ducks.
Fernando Mendoza’s connection to Omar Cooper Jr. played an important role in moving the ball around the field.
Mendoza found Cooper with four completions on the drive, which helped set up Hemby’s touchdown run. Mendoza’s positioning in the middle was also crucial, as he took the ball 14 yards to the three-yard line with just under a minute left in the first quarter.
IU takes advantage of Oregon’s missed field goal
After an Oregon drive stalled at the IU 15-yard line late in the second quarter, the Ducks were left with a 36-yard field goal to regain the lead before halftime.
But Atticus Sappington hooked the kick to the left and the Hoosiers took over at their own 20-yard line with 20 seconds left in the half.
A 14-yard Hemby run and 11-yard completion to Elijah Sarratt moved the ball to the Hoosier 45.
Mendoza’s pass attempt to Hemby to put IU within field goal range was incomplete, but a pass interference call on Devon Jackson put the Hoosiers in Oregon territory at the 40-yard line.
Curt Cignetti called on Brendan Franke, who scored a 58-yard field goal to give IU a 13-10 cushion at intermission.
Hemby’s second rushing touchdown caps the drive late in the third quarter
Oregon tied the game at 13 on a Sappington field goal with 7:10 left in the third quarter.
The Hoosiers responded with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that lasted just under five minutes.
The drive was crucial not only because it gave the Hoosiers a 20-13 lead, but also because it gave the defense some much-needed rest.
Up until that point, the Ducks had dominated time of possession.
Mendoza’s pick six gives Oregon momentum
After IU stopped Oregon on the ensuing possession, Mendoza made a crucial mistake on 3rd-and-2 from the Hoosier 22-yard line.
Brandon Finney picked off Mendoza’s pass intended for EJ Williams and took a 35-yard touchdown to tie the game at 20.
It was Mendoza’s second interception of the season and it gave the Ducks momentum early in the fourth quarter.
Hoosiers answer with a 75-yard drive to regain the lead
With Autzen Stadium at a fever pitch, Mendoza recovered from the interception by spearheading a 12-play, 75-yard drive to put the Hoosiers ahead 27-20 with 6:23 to play.
The IU junior quarterback connected with Sarratt for an eight-yard touchdown pass.
The drive silenced the Oregon crowd and put the Hoosiers in an upset position midway through the fourth quarter.
Moore’s interception puts IU in control
Oregon needed an answer on its next drive.
But on the second play of the drive, Dante Moore’s pass was intercepted by Lewis Moore.
The huge pick gave the Hoosiers possession at the Oregon 32 and put IU in position to put the Ducks away.
A four-minute drive extends the lead to two possessions
After Moore’s interception, the Hoosiers burned nearly four minutes of clock and got the ball to the Oregon four-yard line.
From there, it was a 22-yard field goal by Franke to seal the victory for Indiana, the first ever over a top-five opponent on the road. The win ended Oregon’s 18-game home winning streak.
Offensive highlights
It was a total team effort offensively for the Hoosiers on Saturday afternoon.
Mendoza completed 20 of 31 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown. Hemby carried 19 times for 70 yards and two touchdowns. Sarratt had eight catches for 121 yards and a touchdown and Cooper caught seven passes for 58 yards.
The Hoosiers defeated the Ducks 326-267.
Defensive outliers
Aiden Fisher, the heartbeat of the IU defense, had 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Linebacker Rolijah Hardy also had 13 tackles. Moore and Isaiah Jones each had an interception.
IU’s defense completely shut down Oregon in the second half. The Ducks gained just 64 yards in the last 30 minutes.
What’s next for the Hoosiers
Indiana returns to Bloomington next weekend for Homecoming weekend.
The 6-0 Hoosiers will host Michigan State, which fell to 3-3 with a 38-13 home loss to UCLA, on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 PM ET on Peacock.
(Photo credit: IU Athletics)
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