Oregon overpowers James Madison as Dante Moore leads Ducks into Orange Bowl vs. Texas Tech

The jump in competition level from the first round to the quarterfinal will be stark for Oregon, which draws No. 4 Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl. The Ducks looked rusty when they played in the quarterfinal a year ago, and perhaps the effects of the long layoff between conference championship weekend and New Year's Day will impact the Red Raiders in 2026 the same way it hurt Oregon on the first day of 2025. But if not, the Ducks figure to get a ferocious effort from one of college football's biggest breakout teams of the season.

Joey McGuire built the nation's No. 3 scoring defense at Texas Tech with his remarkable transfer portal haul. The last time Oregon saw a defense of this caliber, it lost at home to Indiana by 10 points.

It was in limited fashion, but Dakorien Moore saw his first game action in over a month when he suited up for Oregon in its CFP opener. The standout freshman receiver missed the final four games of the regular season after hurting his knee in practice and received a healthy cheer from the Autzen Stadium crowd when he made his first catch, a 5-yarder, against James Madison.

Gary Bryant Jr. also dressed in full pads and did not carry an injury designation after missing the last three games. Evan Stewart, who has yet to play this year because of a knee injury he sustained in the offseason, even suited up. Neither entered the lineup, but they are clearly on the verge of doing so.

If Oregon gets its top three targets back for the stretch run, the offense will be even more potent than it was in Saturday's rout.

The vocal group of college football fans who wish to see the Group of Five excluded from the playoff will undoubtedly grow louder after today's results. James Madison's loss followed a Tulane defeat against Ole Miss earlier in the day and pushed Group of Five teams to 0-4 in their history of CFP appearances. None of those four losses came by fewer than 17 points.

Teams from outside the power conference structure will continue to have a seat at the playoff table for the foreseeable future. Is it only a matter of time before one of them pulls off an upset and redefines what is possible for squads from that level, or will the talent chasm between them and the nation's biggest brands keep the blowouts coming?

Early 4Q: Oregon 48, James Madison 26

It's not going to amount to much in the way of winning the game at this point, but it certainly makes the scoreboard look a little prettier. James Madison is suddenly up to 26 points against the best defense it has seen all year.

Lacota Dippre leapt past an approaching defender and across the goal line for the Dukes' third touchdown of the day -- a 2-yard run. The 2-point conversion attempt was no good.

End 3Q: Oregon 48, James Madison 20

The 35-point lead midway through the third quarter was not a sizable enough margin for Oregon to slow things down and start thinking about the quarterfinals. The Ducks played to add to their lead, and it cost them as James Madison took the ball away from them and scored a touchdown the other way.

With 15 minutes left and a four-touchdown lead on the board, will Dan Lanning call off the dogs? The Ducks can taste the Orange Bowl, and it would take a miracle for the Dukes to get in their way. Lanning should be content with draining the clock from here.

Late 3Q: Oregon 48, James Madison 20

Dante Moore has been nearly perfect today, but his few errors have been quite significant. He threw his second interception of the game just as it appeared Oregon would pile onto its already gargantuan lead. Moore lobbed a ball up towards the front-right pylon, and the contact from a James Madison defender kept it in the air longer than he would have liked.

The hang time allowed Justin Eaglin to make a play on the ball, and with him hauling it in with room to run, he returned it 61 yards and into Oregon territory. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Ducks advanced the ball to the 21.

Alonza Barnett III chucked a 24-yard scoring pass to George Pettaway five plays later.

Mid 3Q: Oregon 48, James Madison 13

It's an all-three-phases beatdown in Eugene. Oregon already blocked a field goal and added to its special teams résumé just after the third quarter's midpoint with a blocked punt that Jayden Limar returned 15 yards for a touchdown. Blake Purchase was credited with the block.

Early 3Q: Oregon 41, James Madison 13

Both of Malik Benson's touchdowns have come on massive plays. His second trip across the goal line is the result of a 45-yard dart from Dante Moore, and it quickly squashed any momentum James Madison accrued with its consecutive scoring drives.

It's back up to a four-possession lead for the Ducks.

Early 3Q: Oregon 34, James Madison 13

The third quarter is underway with a touchdown.

A short pass to the sideline resulted in James Madison's best play of the night. It wasn't the Dukes' most explosive play by yardage, but the 47-yard touchdown reception from Nick DeGennaro gave them their first taste of the end zone in thrilling fashion.

Purple and gold streamers flew through the air in the visitors' section as the James Madison fans rejoiced in response to the scoring strike.

HALF: Oregon 34, James Madison 6

James Madison looked over the course of its first two drives like its offense belonged on the same field as Oregon's. But with the Dukes turning two red zone trips into just three points, it was never going to be enough to keep pace with one of the nation's most talented units.

Oregon posted a play of at least 30 yards on each of its first five possessions and found the end zone on every one of those drives. Outside of an interception in the closing minutes of the half, Dante Moore put on a masterclass in placing the ball on the money, and his receivers made it easy on him by gaining separation from the opposing defensive backs for surefire big gains.

There is a talent gap on display at Autzen Stadium. The only thing that can save James Madison at this point is the clock, which can't move quickly enough over the next 30 minutes.

Late 2Q: Oregon 34, James Madison 6

An uncharacteristic error from Dante Moore set James Madison up to chip away at the deficit. The problem for the Dukes is that a field goal does little damage when you're trailing by 31 points. Moore tossed an interception with a minute left in the first half, and after taking over on the plus side of the field, the Dukes finally added to their scoring tally with a 38-yard kick from Morgan Suarez.

Late 2Q: Oregon 34, James Madison 3

Dante Moore hit Malik Benson for a 46-yard bomb to extend the lead to 31. Moore, now 10-11 for 199 yards and three touchdowns, has connected with four different targets for completions of 40 or more yards.

The combination of receivers bolting past their defenders and Moore putting the ball on the money has shredded the James Madison secondary.

Mid 2Q: Oregon 27, James Madison 3

This drive's explosive play was only of the 30-yard variety. So that's progress for the James Madison defense.

Jordon Davison's 30-yard scamper set up a 20-yard touchdown strike to Jeremiah McClellan, who made an excellent grab going to the ground in the end zone.

The rout is on.

Early 2Q: Oregon 20, James Madison 3

It is abundantly clear that James Madison does not have an answer for the Will Stein offense. This time, it is a 56-yard pitch and run from Dierre Hill Jr. that gouges the Dukes. Oregon has had the pleasure of rattling off an explosive play on each of its three possessions, and it took only three total snaps to get into the end zone on drive No. 3.

If the Dukes cannot force a couple of turnovers, this one is not going to be close.

James Madison threatened for the second time in as many drives but again had to settle for a field goal attempt.

"Attempt" is the operative word there.

Tionne Gray got his hand on the kick and rendered the 40-yard try no good. The blocked field goal brings the Ducks' offense back onto the field at their own 22. And it marks a disappointing end to a promising possession that featured a 50-yard completion.

End 1: Oregon 13, James Madison 3

How does 144 yards of offense and 13 on just nine plays sound? Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein will take that all day. The Ducks' first touchdown strike came just 1:38 into the game. Their second took 2:37 off the clock. It was about as efficient and successful a start as the No. 5 seed could have possibly asked for on that side of the ball.

But James Madison showed up, too. The Dukes were methodical the first time they touched the ball and used all facets of their RPO-heavy attack to knock on the door. Three points were all they had to show for it, but they made the Oregon defense work. And they're right back in striking distance at the end of the quarter.

A 50-yard Alonza Barnett III completion to Nick DeGennaro took the top off Oregon's defense and set the Dukes up with a first-and-goal from the 10, which we'll see on the other side of the timeout.

Late 1Q: Oregon 13, James Madison 3

There are not enough clichés to describe what Oregon has done to the James Madison defense thus far. Another diabolically efficient drive resulted in the Ducks' second touchdown of the first quarter -- a 5-yard keeper from Dante Moore.

It was again the explosive play that carried Oregon to the end zone. Moore connected earlier in the possession with Dierre Hill Jr. for a 40-yard catch and run. It's already his second completion of at least 40 yards.

Mid 1Q: Oregon 6, James Madison 3

Both teams are on the board through a possession apiece. James Madison's points came at the end of a statement first drive that proved this offense is here to play. Quarterback Alonza Barnett III made a large impact on the ground with an outstanding block on a 24-yard Wayne Knight run and a 14-yard rush of his own. But the possession stalled in the red zone as the Dukes had to settle for a 30-yard field goal.

Oregon's failed 2-point conversion on the previous series keeps the score within a field goal.

Early 1Q: Oregon 6, James Madison 0

The Ducks needed no more than 103 seconds to make a splash. Tight end Jamari Johnson beat his defender up the seam and made a spectacular one-handed effort to haul in a catch, then he tumbled into the end zone to complete a 41-yard touchdown strike.

Dan Lanning coached aggressively and pulled a trick play out of his hat on the 2-point conversion, but it failed.

A staple of the Dan Lanning era at Oregon is that when the Ducks are decidedly more talented than their opponent, they leave no doubt of it on the scoreboard. James Madison is far better than the trio of non-conference foes that Oregon pounded into the dirt by a combined score of 169-23, but is it really much stronger than the Big Ten bottom-dwellers that stood no chance against this powerhouse, either? The Dukes fell by two touchdowns in their lone regular-season matchup against a Power Four team, and this one should be even more lopsided than the 28-14 loss to Louisville. Pick: Oregon -21.5

According to ESPN FPI, James Madison played the 121st-toughest schedule in the country thus far. Only 15 teams faced a lighter load of opponents. Does that mean the Dukes' dominance has to be taken with a grain of salt? Saturday will put that idea to the test. Running back Wayne Knight torched defenses for a Sun Belt-best 1,263 rushing yards, defensive lineman Sahir West racked up 14 tackles for loss and dual-threat quarterback Alonza Barnett III passed for 21 touchdowns and ran for 14 more. In all, the Dukes boasted the nation's No. 10 scoring offense and No. 10 scoring defense. But now they have to prove they can do it against a national championship contender.

Oregon played three of its toughest games in the final month of the season and won each of them, and suddenly the Oct. 11 loss to Indiana is far in the rearview mirror. The wins over Iowa, USC and Washington helped the Ducks re-establish themselves as national championship contenders and launched them into the No. 5 seed slot, which sets them up for arguably the most favorable path to the title game of any team outside the top four seeds.

James Madison debuted at the FBS level just four years ago when former Dukes coach Curt Cignetti oversaw a successful transition from the FCS ranks. Between Cignetti and Bob Chesney, this program benefitted from two outstanding coaches in an unfathomable rise to the top of the Sun Belt and, ultimately, to the CFP. The Dukes have won no fewer than eight games in a season since making the jump to Division I's highest subdivision, and they made their first appearance in the CFP Top 25 rankings ahead of conference championship week.

If Oregon gets closer to full strength ahead of its playoff run, it could be in for a long stay in the bracket. A host of Ducks participated in practice this week after missing extended time with injuries. That includes the wide receiver trio of Dakorien Moore, Gary Bryant Jr. and Evan Stewart. Moore missed the final four games of the regular season after hurting his knee in practice, Bryant sat the final three games and Stewart has not played due to an injury he suffered in the offseason. Running back Jayden Limar and cornerback Sione Laulea could also return to the lineup.

The first round of the 2025 College Football Playoff concludes Saturday night when No. 5-seed Oregon hosts No. 12-seed James Madison at Autzen Stadium. With one of college football's most prominent home-field advantages and a loaded roster on their side, the Ducks are commanding favorites to advance to the Orange Bowl, where No. 4 Texas Tech awaits the winner. But the Sun Belt champion Dukes will head to the Pacific Northwest with their sights set on what would be a legendary upset.

They come from different backgrounds, but the Ducks and Dukes stand side by side in the FBS rankings for scoring offense and scoring defense. Both rank inside the top 10.

These sides also have something in common in that they will say goodbye to coaches at the end of their postseason runs. James Madison coach Bob Chesney will depart to take the UCLA job at the end of the CFP, and both of Oregon's coordinators -- Will Stein (Kentucky) and Tosh Lupoi (California) -- are set to begin their duties as Power Four head coaches once the campaign closes.

A win for Oregon would be its first in the playoff since its expansion to 12 teams. It would also help remove the bitter taste left over from last postseason when the Ducks squandered their No. 1 seed and dropped out of the CFP in the quarterfinals.