‘Great Answers’ – Execution the Key in Oregon Rematch
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Now comes the rematch with Oregon that figures to test Indiana as Alabama could not, the opportunity to reach its first college football national title game and, perhaps, win its first national title.
The top-seeded Hoosiers (14-0) have met every challenge as they prepare for Friday night’s Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl semifinal showdown in Atlanta, including their 30-20 win at Oregon’s Autzen Stadium, perhaps the most impressive victory by any team this season given the fifth-seeded Ducks (13-1) had won a nation’s best 18-straight home games and hadn’t lost at Autzen Stadium in nearly three years.
“We were fortunate to win the game in Eugene,” IU head coach Curt Cignetti said during Saturday’s national press conference. “It's hard to beat a great team twice. Very difficult. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
So is Oregon coach Dan Lanning.
“I’ve got an unbelievable amount of respect for Coach Cignetti and the job that he's done at Indiana,” Lanning said. “You watch this team on film, obviously we got to experience it firsthand; this is one of if not the best-coached teams in college football. They play with unbelievable technique. They challenge you in every facet; in special teams, defensively, offensively.
“They've got great quarterback play, which is a secret to being in this position that they're in. And you watch this group, they play together. They've got great answers. They do what they do extremely well.
“On defense, they challenge you in every way. They give you a lot of different looks.
“This is a group that's obviously playing their best football. You saw that in their most recent game (Thursday’s 38-3 win over Alabama in the Rose Bowl).”
Lanning has a four-year record of 48-7 with the 2024 Big Ten championship. The Ducks are 26-2 in the last two seasons, just ahead of the Hoosiers’ 25-2 record in the same span. Cignetti calls Lanning, “one of the young superstars in the coaching profession.”
“They are an excellent football team -- offense, defense and special teams,” Cignetti said. “They do a great job of coaching. It will be a big challenge.”
In the first meeting on Oct. 11, the Hoosiers outrushed (111-81 yards) and outpassed (215-186 yards) the Ducks, were 5-for-5 in the red zone to Oregon’s 2-for-3 and scored the game’s final 10 points in the last six minutes.
Since that loss, Oregon has won eight-straight games, all by double digits except for an 18-16 cliffhanger at then-No. 20 Iowa.
“Oregon is very well coached, and has got good players,” Cignetti said. “They're explosive on offense. They run the ball really well. They're very balanced. The line does a good job.
“They spread around the pass game. Defensively, they have great speed; they fly to the ball with multiple hats.
“They've got a scheme where they keep you off balance with your pre-snap reads. They are huge inside, and the edge guys can really rush the passer. And their special teams are good.
“The second time around, we're both going to watch the tape of the first game, see what we did well, see what we didn't do well. Both teams will have some wrinkles. Both teams have sort of morphed since that game, because it was a while back.
“You put the best plan together you can, but at the end of the day, it's which team executes the best, play in, play out.”
Lanning said the Ducks have improved in a “lot of different facets” since playing IU.
“I won't get into every detail,” he said. “Neither one of us are the same team that you saw when we played each other. I think we've grown in a lot of different ways, found different strength. As your team changes, you change and adapt to your strengths in your team, and you see the same thing with Indiana.”
Cignetti said that “philosophically, (the Ducks) look very similar to what they did.
“There are some new things showing up, but the bottom line is, they’ve got guys inside who do a good job stopping the run. They don't give up many yards rushing. They can put heat on the passer from the outside and with their pressure package, and they do a good job covering and swarming the ball. They do a nice job pre-snap of disguising their coverages.”
In the first meeting, IU sacked standout quarterback Dante Moore six times and limited him to 21-for-34 accuracy with one touchdown and two interceptions. For the season, he completes 72.9 percent of his passes for 3,280 yards, 28 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He’s also rushed for 184 yards and two TDs.
Moore has said he treated the Indiana game bigger than it was.
“When games don't go your way,” Lanning said, “you're always trying to look for answers and reasons why. It's really simple. They blocked better. They tackled better. They moved the ball and controlled the clock. They converted third downs. It was all relatively close going into the fourth quarter, and then we turned the ball over.
“So, you try to find all these moments that, okay, this was the difference. It's every play, right? Every play added up and every play mattered. When you're playing a team with great technique that has great scheme like Indiana, that's the edge.
“I know Dante is trying to find what are the things that didn't go right and how can he be better. I have a lot of confidence in Dante and the way he preps, and knowing he maybe felt like he forced some things in this first game. He's not the same guy at this point in the season.”
Oregon has rolled through the playoffs, beating James Madison 51-34 and Texas Tech 23-0. It averages 38.0 points a game while holding opponents to 15.14 points. The Ducks average 206.1 rushing yards a game and 251.4 passing yards.
By comparison, IU averages 41.6 points, 220.7 rushing yards and 247.4 passing yards, and allows 10.3 points and 252.6 total yards.
The Ducks have four players who have rushed for at least 321 yards, led by Noah Whittington (829, six touchdowns), Jordon Davison (667, 15) and Dierre Hill Jr. (570, five). Six receivers have caught at least 26 passes for 306 yards, led by Malik Benson (41 catches, 696 yards, six touchdowns) and Kenyon Sadiq (46, 531, eight).
The defense is led by linebacker Bryce Boetcher with 125 tackles, two forced fumbles and an interception. Linebacker Teitum Tuioti has a team leading 9.5 sacks. Defensive back Brandon Finney Jr. has three interceptions and two forced fumbles.
On special teams, kicker Gage Hurych is 19-for-23 with a long of 51 yards.
Against Alabama, IU’s physical dominance was especially evident with its offensive line play. It rushed for 215 yards against the Crimson Tide, breaking their will in the fourth quarter as running backs Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black powered free for touchdown runs.
The offensive line also gave Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza time to complete 14-of-16 passes for nearly 200 yards and three touchdowns.
“One thing that helps us with pass protection is the balance that we have on the offense,” Cignetti said. “We run the ball well. Oregon does, too. We both average over 200 yards a game. We both run it more than 50 percent of the time. So, the pressure is not on the line to be in constant pass pro mode. And, obviously, the quick throws, advantage throws and RPOs are built in, as well.
“Our line has been very consistent. We’ve got a bunch of guys that have played together for a long time. (Offensive line coach) Bob Bostad does a tremendous job with those guys. Our running backs do a nice job with pass pro as well. And we try to mix the passes up, so we got the quick stuff when we get out of the hand, and then the longer developing stuff. But when you can run the ball, that really helps your pass game.”
The transfer portal adds to an already heavy coaching load, which is why the Hoosiers flew home right after the Rose Bowl victory. Cignetti said that, with 13 portal players on campus on Saturday, it cut into his Peach Bowl preparation.
To make up for it, he put in eight to nine hours on Friday to focus on transfer portal evaluation. He said he had Saturday night and Sunday morning meetings devoted to the transfer portal before “100 percent focus” on Oregon preparation.
Cignetti said while high school recruits usually require a 48-hour visit, transfer portal prospects only need 24 hours.
“It's usually one night. They're making a business decision. They're normally older guys. They've been through it. They know what they're looking for. Either you're a fit or you're not.”
Cignetti added a few IU players have entered the transfer portal, “and we would like them to continue to practice.” He said some have chosen to go home instead.
“I don’t think that’s going to present a problem for us in terms of our preparation.”