Instant recap: Indiana 30, Oregon 20

Elijah Sarratt celebrates a play in IU's win at Oregon.

Quick thoughts on IU football’s 30-20 win against Oregon at Autzen Stadium in front of 59,625 fans:

Key plays for the Hoosiers

Hemby’s touchdown run finishes 75-yard drive

After Oregon took the lead, 7-3, on a 44-yard pass from Dante Moore to Malik Benson, Indiana needed a response.

The Hoosiers got one on their ensuing drive.

Roman Hemby’s 3-yard touchdown run capped off a nine-play drive over five minutes to put IU back ahead of the Ducks.

Fernando Mendoza’s connection with Omar Cooper Jr. was instrumental in moving the ball up the field.

Mendoza found Cooper with four completions on the drive, which helped set up Hemby’s touchdown run. Mendoza’s draw up the middle was also pivotal, as he took the ball 14 yards to the three-yard line with just under a minute left in the first quarter.

IU capitalizes on Oregon’s missed field goal

After an Oregon drive late in the second quarter stalled at the IU 15-yard line, the Ducks were left with a 36-yard field goal to reclaim the lead before halftime.

But Atticus Sappington hooked the kick left and the Hoosiers took over on their own 20-yard line with 20 seconds left in the half.

A Hemby 14-yard run and an 11-yard completion to Elijah Sarratt moved the ball to the Hoosier 45.

Mendoza’s pass attempt to Hemby to put IU in field goal range was incomplete, but a pass interference call on Devon Jackson put the Hoosiers in Oregon territory at the 40-yard line.

Curt Cignetti called on Brendan Franke, who knocked in a 58-yard field goal to give IU a 13-10 cushion at intermission.

Hemby’s second rushing touchdown finishes late third-quarter drive

Oregon tied the game at 13 on a Sappington field goal with 7:10 left in the third quarter.

The Hoosiers responded with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that lasted just under five minutes.

The drive was pivotal not only because it put the Hoosiers ahead 20-13, but also because it gave the defense a much-needed rest.

The Ducks had dominated time of possession up to that point.

Mendoza’s pick-six gives Oregon momentum

After IU stopped Oregon on its ensuing possession, Mendoza made a critical mistake on 3rd-and-2 from the Hoosier 22-yard line.

Brandon Finney picked off Mendoza’s pass intended for EJ Williams and took it 35 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 20.

It was Mendoza’s second interception of the season and it gave the Ducks momentum early in the fourth quarter.

Hoosiers answer with 75-yard drive to reclaim lead

With Autzen Stadium at a fever pitch, Mendoza bounced back from the interception by captaining a 12-play, 75-yard drive to put the Hoosiers ahead 27-20 with 6:23 to play.

The IU junior quarterback hooked up with Sarratt for an eight-yard touchdown pass.

The drive silenced the Oregon crowd and put the Hoosiers in an upset position past the midway point of the fourth quarter.

Moore’s interception puts IU in control

Oregon needed an answer on its next drive.

But on its second play of the drive, Dante Moore’s pass was intercepted by Lewis Moore.

The massive pick gave the Hoosiers possession on the Oregon 32 and put IU in position to put the Ducks away.

A four-minute drive extends the lead to two possessions

Following the Moore interception, the Hoosiers burned nearly four minutes of clock and got the ball to the Oregon four-yard line.

From there, it was a 22-yard field goal from Franke to seal the victory for Indiana, its first ever over a top-five opponent on the road. The victory snapped Oregon’s 18-game home winning streak.

Offensive standouts

It was a total team effort offensively for the Hoosiers on Saturday afternoon.

Mendoza completed 20 of 31 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown. Hemby carried 19 times for 70 yards and two touchdowns. Sarratt had eight catches for 121 yards and a touchdown and Cooper caught seven passes for 58 yards.

The Hoosiers out-gained the Ducks 326-267.

Defensive standouts

Aiden Fisher, the heartbeat of the IU defense, had 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Linebacker Rolijah Hardy also had 13 tackles. Moore and Isaiah Jones each had an interception.

IU’s defense completely shut down Oregon in the second half. The Ducks managed just 64 total yards over the final 30 minutes.

What’s next for the Hoosiers

Indiana returns to Bloomington next weekend for Homecoming weekend.

The 6-0 Hoosiers will host Michigan State, which fell to 3-3 with a 38-13 home loss to UCLA, on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on Peacock.

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

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