Oregon scores early and often in CFP triumph over James Madison
- - Oregon scores early and often in CFP triumph over James Madison
Field Level MediaDecember 21, 2025 at 7:22 AM
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Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) rushes for a touchdown as James Madison Dukes safety Tyler Brown (13) defends during the first quarter at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images (Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images)
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore has become the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft should he elect to leave the Ducks for the pro ranks.
While he weighs the decision, the 20-year-old Moore seems intent on inflicting more damage against college players.
The poor James Madison defenders were shredded during an electric first-half frenzy as Moore passed for four touchdowns and ran for one to help fifth-seeded Oregon torch the 12th-seeded Dukes 51-34 in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday night at Eugene, Ore.
"We won the game. We're advancing," Moore said. "Of course, the standard has to stay the standard through all four quarters."
Malik Benson caught five passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns and Jeremiah McClellan and Jamari Johnson also had scoring catches for the Ducks (12-1). Dierre Hill Jr. scored on a long run and Jayden Limar scored on a blocked punt return for Oregon.
The Ducks will face No. 4 seed Texas Tech (12-1) in the quarterfinals on Jan. 1 at the Orange Bowl.
"I know they're a complete team," Ducks coach Dan Lanning said of the Red Raiders. "Coach (Joey) McGuire has done an unbelievable job. They have a lot of talent, so this will be a fun challenge for us."
Moore completed 19 of 27 passes for 313 yards and two interceptions as the Ducks won their seventh straight contest.
"He does everything with a smile on his face," Johnson said of Moore. "He works as hard as ever and he's just Dante Moore, he's just a guy."
Alonza Barnett III completed 23 of 48 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns and added a rushing score for James Madison (12-2). Nick DeGennaro and George Pettaway had scoring catches and Lacota Dippre scored one on the ground for the Dukes, who had an 11-game winning streak halted.
James Madison earned the final spot in the field when a five-loss Duke squad won the Atlantic Coast Conference title game.
There were many critics who ridiculed their inclusion and the Dukes turned out to have few answers at the outset when trying to stop the Ducks' offense.
Oregon scored touchdowns on its first five possessions, totaling just 21 plays on those drives, while taking a 34-6 halftime lead before the Dukes narrowed the margin later in the contest.
"They showed a lot of fight, that's what they've done all year long," said James Madison coach Bob Chesney, who is departing to take over the UCLA program. "There was a lot in there that was not typical of us. It was frustrating to watch that at moments. But I love that they fought. They would not quit. It's going to end the way it did today but there was a lot of this season that they're going to be very proud of."
The Ducks needed just four plays on their first drive as Moore tossed a 41-yard touchdown pass to Johnson. A trick-play two-point conversion attempt failed.
James Madison held the ball for 15 plays on its first drive but settled for Morgan Suarez's 30-yard field goal.
Oregon then needed just five plays to take a 13-3 lead on Moore's 5-yard keeper with 2:38 left in the opening quarter.
The Ducks went 78 yards on three plays on their next possession with Hill exploding for a 56-yard touchdown run. Next was a four-play drive in which Moore tossed a 20-yard scoring pass to McClellan to make it 27-3 with 9:18 left in the half.
The fifth straight touchdown drive lasted five plays as Moore hit Benson in stride on a 46-yard pass with 4:22 remaining.
Suarez booted a 48-yard field goal with 6 seconds left to leave James Madison down by 28.
The Dukes struck for their first touchdown early in the third quarter when DeGennaro caught a short pass, eluded a defender, and raced 47 yards to bring James Madison within 34-13.
But Oregon needed just four plays for its next touchdown. Moore spotted a wide-open Benson behind the Dukes' defense and the 45-yard touchdown pass boosted the lead back to 28.
Later, Blake Purchase blocked the punt of James Madison's Patrick Rea and Limar picked it up and ran 15 yards to make it 48-13 with 7:05 left in the third.
Barnett tossed a 24-yard scoring pass to Pettaway with 1:15 left in the third and Dippre scored on a 2-yard reverse as the Dukes pulled within 48-26 with 10:26 left.
After a 48-yard field goal by Oregon's Atticus Sappington, Barnett capped a 99-yard drive by scoring from the 1 and hitting DeGennaro on a two-point conversion throw to cut the James Madison deficit to 17 with 65 seconds left.
"It took a full team to get ourselves here," Chesney said. "You win as a team but you also lose as a team."
The two sides combined for over 1,000 yards of offense, with Oregon edging JMU, 514-509. The Dukes were hurt by 13 penalties for 113 yards.
--Field Level Media
Source: “AOL Sports”
