3 keys to Indiana football’s matchup against Oregon in the Peach Bowl
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No. 1-seed Indiana football is set to take on No. 5-seed Oregon in the Peach Bowl on Friday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The Hoosiers are currently a 3.5-point favorite over the Ducks, per FanDuel Sportsbook.
The game doubles as a College Football Playoff semifinal, with the winner advancing to the national championship game in Miami, Florida. This is the furthest the Hoosiers and Ducks have advanced in the 12-team playoff, with Oregon having advanced to the 2015 national championship game.
The running game
Running the ball is crucial to both Indiana and Oregon’s offenses and both do an excellent job of it.
The Hoosiers rank 14th nationally in yards per rush with 5.38. Carries are largely split between running backs Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black, with the former reaching the 1,000-yard mark against Alabama and going for 5.2 yards per attempt and the latter picking up 5.7.
Indiana tends to ask quite a bit out of the two, who are built similarly, with each having the strength and power to pick up yards after contact between the tackles. That’s worn on defenses over time, allowing Fernando Mendoza to make plays through the air and opening up lanes for longer runs in late game situations.
The Ducks rank 11th nationally in yards per rush with 5.5. Like with Indiana, carries are largely split between two backs in Noah Whittington and Jordan Davison, with the former getting the majority of carries between them and picking up a fantastic 6.4 yards per attempt.
But the problem for Oregon is that Davison suffered a collarbone injury. Several other Ducks running backs have entered the portal, though Dan Lanning said he expects Jay Harris, one of said backs, to be available against the Hoosiers. Whittington, who gained 31 yards on 13 carries against Texas Tech in the quarterfinal, may be relied on more.
Indiana’s going to have to find a way to keep Oregon from dragging drives out on defense while doing just that on offense.
Fernando Mendoza and Charlie Becker
After Hemby and Black pick up yards on first and/or second, Indiana’s going to need a strong performance through the air from Mendoza.
Mendoza played great against Alabama, completing 14-16 passing attempts for 192 yards and three touchdowns. Aforementioned running game, and the Crimson Tide’s lackluster offense, made it easier on him than it’ll be on Friday.
Charlie Becker’s emergence in the latter half of the season has been a boon for the Hoosiers’ postseason hopes, he’s been fantastic in late down situations and had key receptions to move the chains in virtually every close game Indiana played.
He’s hard to contain, but it isn’t impossible. Those routes take longer to develop and Mendoza becomes susceptible to pressure as a result. If the Ducks’ defense is getting home, the Hoosiers are in trouble. Mendoza has to be able to deliver quick, accurate passes if Indiana wants to win.
Pressuring Dante Moore
Last but not least, Indiana has to be able to make like difficult for the opposing quarterback, Oregon’s Dante Moore. This was key to the two’s earlier matchup, which featured Moore taking six of the 14 sacks he’d see during the season.
Indiana did that with defensive ends Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley available. Both are out with injuries, making this pressure a bit trickier.
The Hoosier defense was able to stifle Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson thanks to simulated pressure at the second level. Bryant Haines made some masterful adjustments given the personnel he had available and was able to keep the Crimson tide from finding success through the air.
Moore’s receiving room has taken some injuries throughout the season, but tight end Kenyon Sadiq has been fantastic and leads the Ducks in receptions. If Indiana can get to Moore or throw some confusing looks at him, it can keep those receivers from getting too open.
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