The Oregon Ducks are preparing for a second straight top-ten clash. Oregon took a double-overtime victory over Penn State in Week 5 before having an open week. Now, the team returns home and hosts an undefeated Indiana squad on Saturday afternoon.
Indiana comes into the game at 5-0. It was a sluggish start to the season, beating Old Dominion by just 13 points. Still, the team took off from there. After wins over Kennesaw State and Indiana State, the Hooisers dismantled Illinois, winning 63-10. Indiana then hit the road for the first time, defeating Iowa 20-15. The team is also coming off an open week in Week 6.
Meanwhile, Oregon is also 5-0. After an opening win over Montana State, the Ducks helped usher in the end of the Mike Gundy era at Oklahoma State, winning 69-3. Oregon hit the road for the first time in Week 3, beating Northwestern in its conference opener. After wins over Oregon State and Penn State, the Ducks have their conference home opener against Indiana.
Dante Moore takes control of the Hesiman race
The Oregon offense has been spectacular this year. They rank fourth in FBS in points per game while also being eighth in yards per game. While the team is great on the ground, sitting 12th in yards per game, Dante Moore has been great in the passing game as well. The Ducks are 31st in the country in passing yards per game, led by Moore, who has seen his Heisman hype grow.
The sophomore quarterback has completed 100 of 134 passes for 1,210 yards and 14 touchdowns this season. Further, he has protected the ball well, being intercepted just once. Moore has also been protected well. He has been sacked just once, the second-lowest sack rate in the country.
Indiana has been solid against the pass. They are eighth in the nation in opponent passing yards per game and have the best interception rate. Still, they are facing just 26.5 passes per game, the 23rd fewest in FBS. Moore has already faced a quality pass defense this year. Against Penn State, he completed 29 of 39 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns.
He is going to have a repeat performance of that showing in this one. The Indiana defense has thrived becuase of the pressure they get on the quarterback. Moore is going to be protected well in this game. He is going to pass for over 250 yards and multiple touchdowns, solidifying his spot at the top of the favorites to win the Heisman.
The Ducks knock Fernando Mendoza down a peg
The Indiana offense has been one of the best in the nation this season. The team is currently seventh in FBS in points per game while also sitting seventh in yards per game. The run attack is ninth in yards per game, while the passing attack is 52nd. This has been done while Indiana is 127th in the nation in passing play percentage.
A major part of the success has been quarterback Fernando Mendoza. His quality play has led to Mendoza being the favorite to go first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Hooisers quarterback has completed 89 of 122 passes for 1,208 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has been intercepted just once this year. He has also run for 102 yards and two scores.
The junior has thrown for over 225 yards with multiple touchdowns in each of his last four games. He has also thrown four or more touchdowns in three of his last four. Regardless, he will struggle against this Oregon defense.
Oregon is second in the nation in opponent passing yards per game. They are also third in the nation in interception percentage. Daylen Austin and Dillon Thieneman have both been great in pass coverage. Austin has broken up three passes, while Thieneman has a pass breakup and a pick. Jerry Mixon leads the way, though. Not only is the linebacker strong in run support, but he is also great in pass coverage. He has three pass breakups and two interceptions, including one brought back to the house.
Mendoza has been accurate this year, but has not faced a defense as good against the pass as Oregon. He will have a setback game in this one, as the Oregon defense flexes its power.
Oregon makes a claim for Big Ten supremacy
Oregon comes into the game as a solid favorite. At the time of writing, odds according to FanDuel have the Ducks as 7.5-point favorites. A win in this game will place them at 3-0 in conference play and 6-0 overall. If both Ohio State and Michigan win, that will leave just three teams undefeated in conference play. Michigan already has a loss this year, falling to Oklahoma early in the season.
Ohio State has a win over Texas, but beyond that, it is facing its first true test of the year in conference play. Ohio State faces Illinois this weekend. Meanwhile, Oregon will have its second straight top-ten win. Both of them are coming against Big Ten opponents. The team will be favored the rest of the way, with potentially the hardest tests coming in the last two weeks of the season. In those games, Oregon hosts USC before visiting Washington.
Oregon will be setting up for an undefeated season, and with two big wins, will also have a claim to being the best team in the conference. Still, Ohio State would like to make that claim as well. The two could be setting up for a showdown on December 6th in Indianapolis to decide who the best in the conference truly is.
