Oregon Dominates James Madison in College Football Playoff Victory

The first round of the College Football Playoff (CFP) saw No. 5 Oregon Ducks dominate No. 12 James Madison Dukes in a wild 51-34 win. Autzen Stadium was rocking as Oregon’s offense rolled, setting up a juicy quarterfinal showdown against No. 4 Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl.

The Ducks came out hot, scoring touchdowns on their first five drives. That early burst made a statement and left James Madison scrambling to catch up.

The Ducks’ Dominant Performance

Oregon’s offense clicked from the first snap. Quarterback Dante Moore led the way, throwing for 313 yards and four touchdowns.

The Ducks piled up 516 yards—203 of those on the ground. James Madison’s defense, which had looked tough all season, just couldn’t keep up.

• Dante Moore: 313 passing yards, four touchdowns, plus a rushing touchdown.
• Malik Benson: 107 yards and two touchdowns on just three catches.
• Dakorien Moore: Came back from injury and grabbed his first catch since late October.

Oregon spread the ball around, making it tough for the Dukes to predict where the attack would come from next.

James Madison’s Struggles

James Madison, still pretty new to the FBS level, ran into some real problems against Oregon. The Dukes missed tackles and struggled to protect quarterback Alonza Barnett III.

Even so, Barnett managed 273 passing yards, two touchdowns, and added a score on the ground. He kept fighting, but the gap was just too much.

Defensive Challenges

The Dukes’ defense had been a strong point, but Oregon’s offense was another beast. The Ducks averaged a wild 16.6 yards per play on those first five drives.

All season, James Madison had held opponents to just over four yards per play. Facing Oregon was a different story, and the difference between the Big Ten and Sun Belt really showed.

Looking Ahead: Oregon vs. Texas Tech

Now Oregon moves on to face No. 4 Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day. That matchup could be a shootout, with both teams bringing top-10 offenses and defenses to the table.

Oregon, the new kid in the Big Ten, takes on Texas Tech, a Big 12 mainstay. Should be interesting to see how that plays out.

Potential Storylines

• Top-10 Offenses and Defenses: Both teams can score, but their defenses aren’t slouches either.
• Big Ten vs. Big 12: Newcomer versus tradition. There’s always a little extra on the line.
• Resource-Rich Programs: Oregon’s sneaker money against Texas Tech’s oil money—makes for some fun off-field chatter.

James Madison’s Season in Review

James Madison came into this game on an 11-game winning streak, second-longest in the country. They won the Sun Belt and showed off a tough defense and a balanced offense.

Even with the loss, the Dukes proved they belong and have a shot at making more noise in the future.

Key Takeaways

Alonza Barnett III and other key players gave it everything they had. There’s real promise for this program going forward.

College Football Playoff Quarterfinals Set

The CFP quarterfinals are stacked. The Big Ten and SEC each landed three teams, while the ACC and Big 12 have one each.

• Ohio State vs. Miami: Dec. 31
• Oregon vs. Texas Tech: Jan. 1
• Alabama vs. Indiana: Jan. 1
• Ole Miss vs. Georgia: Jan. 1

Every one of these games feels like it could go either way. Should be a blast to watch.

Oregon’s Path Forward

Oregon’s journey to the quarterfinals has surprised a lot of people. After their 30-20 loss to Indiana back in October, most folks wrote the Ducks off in the national title race.

But then they absolutely dominated James Madison, and suddenly people started paying attention again. Their offense sits at eighth nationally for yards per play, which is nothing to sneeze at.

On the other side, the defense ranks sixth. Oregon looks like a real contender—maybe not everyone saw that coming, but here we are.