Tough as Nails, Ducks Shut Out Red Raiders, Advance to Peach Bowl

BY KEN WOODY

Duck Nation breathed a sigh of relief as Oregon shutout number-four ranked Texas Tech 23-0 in the Orange Bowl in Miami Thursday to advance to the next round of the college football playoffs against number-one seeded Indiana next Friday. Both teams played forgettable football on offense, but the Ducks were only putrid while the Red Raiders were absolutely awful. Both teams’ defense played well. The Red Raiders were stout, but Dan Lanning’s pride and joy defense performed their finest defensive effort in memory, shutting the door on the top-ranked offense in the nation.

Besides their defense, the Ducks won because they had the best quarterback in Dante Moore who completed 26-of-33 passes (79%) for 234 yards. Oregon was a dismal 4-of-19 (21%) on third down conversions and not much better on fourth down (4-of-8). Those stats made the game closer than it should have been.

Outside of a mid-season loss to Arizona State, the Big 12 Conference Champion Raiders had the 2025 season relatively easy, averaging over 45-points-per game; winning 12 games, all by at least three touchdowns and five by over thirty-one points. Before the game, Lanning had expressed relief the Ducks had not been one of the top-four ranked playoff teams, that would have given them a bye to the second round, 23 days later.

Oregon was dismal last year in the second round against Ohio State and much of the blame came down to “too much time away from the regular routine” resulting in poor preparation by both coaches and players and a loss of the eager mentality that characterizes Lanning’s teams. It was a painfully-inept performance for the country’s football fans, many who have historical reservations about the Ducks’ insistence that their flashy regional program merits a run at the ‘natty.

Well, fans, Texas Tech was worse, a lot worse. You could start with the play calling. Nearly every possession a vanilla run play was chosen on first down, resulting in less than four yards, which is measured as a successful play. Second play would be a pass, usually incomplete, and then it came down to third-down conversions. Tech was 6-of-16 (38%) on third-down and 0-for-3 on fourth down and gave up seven tackles for loss, four sacks, and eight turnovers: the humiliation was complete.

Oregon’s defense had been criticized for a poor red zone touchdown rate (75%), before the game but was perfect in this game. The Red Raiders offense had four turnovers on downs and lost two fumbles and two interceptions. At no time did they look energetic or enthusiastic resisting the dominance of the Duck defense and their quarterback Behren Morton, once mentioned as a possible Heisman candidate, was stuffed: completing 18-of-32 passes for only 137 yards and two interceptions. Although one could criticize the performance of Morton, his play caller gave him little to work with.

Texas Tech’s defense was rated number-one in the country and it showed every bit of that, although offensive coordinator Will Stein’s play calling lacked fluidity and the attacking nature that has made Oregon the number-one ranked team in the nation with offensive plays over 20+ yards coming into this contest.

Lanning had said before the game that it would be a battle of who could run the ball and who could stop the others’ running attack and that would determine the game’s winner. It didn’t quite work out that way: the Red Raiders gained only 78 yards against its 191-yard average but allowed only 64 yards to the Ducks who might have gained more by running a reverse or two, or more plays designed outside the tackles.

Oregon won because their defense played as a cohesive unit, pursued and tackled well, and caused the chaos (eight turnovers) that crippled Tech, and mostly, never had to take the field with the Raiders starting a drive on the Oregon side of the field. From there, Tech’s faulty performance worked to Oregon’s advantage in a game of field position football. Oregon’s average drive started at midfield, while Tech started on their own 22-yard line.

At halftime, coach Lanning’s assessment would show the offense ran a lot of formations, usually set up by slow-motion shifts that allowed Tech’s defense to regain their breath. The offense was restricted to the right arm of quarterback Dante Moore who completed 23-of-28 passes for 203 yards. He was sacked twice and harassed a good deal of the first half due to Oregon’s offensive linemen whose high pad level and slow feet left them out-matched by Tech’s bigger and quicker defensive front four.

At times Oregon needed to override their insistence on running plays straight into the middle of the defense with high pad levels. Doing so consistently, Lanning went for it on fourth down and surprised everybody by converting three-of- five attempts, one of which was out of punt formation on fourth down, a 11-yard pass to Teitum Tuioti.

One had to think that Oregon’s luck was going to run out as it was hard to believe that Texas Tech would not figure out some offensive firepower in the second half. In the first half, the Duck defense was great, holding the Red Raiders to three three-and-outs, 51 yards rushing, a meager 37 yards passing and forcing two turnovers: a great interception and fumble recovery, both by freshman cornerback Brandon Finney, Jr.

The Ducks put the screws to them in the second, allowing only 27 more yards on the ground. Tosh Lupoi, defensive coordinator, had to be happy with the rush defense, holding Tech to only 78 yards for the game, 113 yards below their average. For the Red Raiders, the dreaded 23-day vacation they had between this game and their last may have affected the execution of their offense, just as happened to the Ducks last year when they had -28 yards rushing and gave up eight sacks to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

For the game, the Duck offense had three penalties, three bad snaps, ten tackles for loss, five passes broken up, and turned the ball over on an interception and three times on downs—stats that would usually result in a loss. Gambling from the start, Lanning went for it on fourth down eight times and converted only four. He passed up on field goals opportunities three times, giving up the ball on the Tech 2-yard line, 25-yard line, and 32-yard line in a game where it was apparent there was not going to be a lot of scoring between both teams.

Oregon’s offense started the game with a 50-yard field goal by Atticus Sappington for the early lead and then on their second drive, turned it over on downs at the Red Raiders’ 23-yard line. A better bet would have been to cash in on the reliability of kicker Atticus Sappington, whose field goals have a consistent success rate better than the fourth-down conversion rate of the offense. His successful kicks were 50, 39, and 43 yards, but, as inconsistency on both sides reined in this game, he missed an easy 36-yarder to ruin his streak of eight in a row in the fourth quarter that would have iced the game.

A third-quarter takeaway-fumble recovery by Matayo Uiagalelei on the Tech six-yard line set up Oregon’s first touchdown, by Jordon Davison and gave the Ducks breathing room 13-0 and some extra zip for the rest of the game. By the final gun, it was clearly evident the most physical defensive team with the best quarterback prevailed. The Ducks showed you could be outrushed and still win, especially if you hold them to under 100 yards and force two fumbles and two interceptions while giving up only one.

Eight days from now, coach Lanning leads his Ducks to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl and a much- anticipated rematch with Indiana, who toppled Oregon in Eugene, 30-20 in a game where the Hoosiers outhustled, outhit and dominated an unprepared Oregon team. A scouting report would suggest Duck coaches and players pay special attention to how Indiana plays the game. Their offensive line is awesome, an aggressive, low pad-level group that dominates the trenches while their counterparts on defense will run you ragged, the best tackling team in college football.

The Hoosiers play from their hearts, just like the Ducks do. It’s difficult to defeat a good team twice in a season, and the Ducks are a very good team that has found a way to succeed against tough opponents in close games. Lanning preaches that to win, you need to prepare, improve and grow. This game is totally all about those commandments; plus, the best quarterback and best defense.

Ken Woody coached college football for 18 years as an assistant at Oregon, Washington, Utah State and Washington State and as a head coach at Whitman College and Washington University-St. Louis. He conducts a coaching clinic, free to all, at the 6^th Street Grill  WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7TH AT 5:00 P.M.  Plays from the previous Oregon game are analyzed, there are scouting reports for opponents, and highlights from referees; all to learn and enjoy football and understand why the Ducks win or lose.