Eugene, Ore. — Dante Moore delivered a masterclass on college football’s biggest stage, accounting for five total touchdowns as Oregon Ducks pulled away from James Madison Dukes for a 51–34 victory Saturday night in a College Football Playoff first-round matchup.
Moore threw for four touchdown passes and added a scoring run of his own, leading fifth-seeded Oregon (12–1) to its first CFP victory since the program’s memorable 2014 postseason run. With the win, the Ducks advanced to face Texas Tech in the quarterfinals at the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1.
Oregon wasted no time asserting control. On the Ducks’ opening possession, Moore launched a 41-yard strike to Jamari Johnson, who secured the ball one-handed before dragging defenders into the end zone. The score set the tone for a dominant first half in which Oregon never surrendered the lead.
James Madison (12–2) answered with a methodical 15-play drive that consumed more than eight minutes and ended with a 30-yard field goal by Morgan Suarez. That brief response, however, was the Dukes’ lone bright spot before halftime. Oregon rattled off four consecutive touchdowns, stretching the margin to 34–3 before Suarez added another field goal late in the second quarter.
Forced to abandon its ground-heavy identity while playing from behind, James Madison leaned on quarterback Alonza Barnett III in the second half. The Sun Belt Player of the Year completed 23 of 48 passes and opened the third quarter with a 47-yard touchdown strike to Nick DeGennaro, briefly injecting life into the Dukes’ comeback hopes.
Oregon quickly slammed the door. Malik Benson scored his second receiving touchdown of the night, and moments later, the Ducks blocked a punt that Jayden Limar scooped up and returned 15 yards for another score. The flurry pushed the lead back to a comfortable margin and underscored Oregon’s dominance in all three phases.
James Madison scored the final three touchdowns, trimming the final score but never seriously threatening the outcome. The loss dropped Group of Five programs to 0–4 in College Football Playoff games this season.
The victory marked Oregon’s seventh straight win since its lone defeat of the year — a 30–20 loss to top-ranked Indiana on Oct. 11 — while snapping James Madison’s 11-game winning streak. Behind Moore’s poise and explosive playmaking, the Ducks now turn their attention to the quarterfinals with momentum firmly on their side.
