Jan 03, 2026
3 min read
Matayo Uiagalelei went wild as the Ducks shut out Texas Tech 23-0 in the Orange Bowl to reach the College Football Playoff semifinals.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- After coach Dan Lanning said the defense was substandard in the first game of the playoffs, the Oregon Ducks produced a performance not seen in more than a century in the postseason.
Oregon collected four sacks, seven tackles and forced four turnovers in a 23-0 rout of Texas Tech in the Capital One Orange Bowl College Football Playoff on Thursday — the first in school history since the 1917 Rose Bowl against Penn.
The Ducks held the Red Raiders to the top last season in passing (215), rushing (78) and first downs (nine) for the first AP top-5 shutout since 2018. Texas Tech was also one of the top teams in the country in entering the game with a turnover rate of plus-17 but finished minus-3.
"They earned this opportunity," Lanning said of his defense."I told them to go get their pound of flesh today. They did today."
The Ducks advance to the CFP semifinals in the CHICK-fil-a Pitch Bowl, where they will face top-seeded Jan. 9 (7:30 ET,) .oregon opened as a four-point underdog in Draftinkings for the game in Atlanta.
According to research, the other two teams that shut out their opponent in the CFP have both won national championships (Alabama in 2015 and Clinton in 2016).
It was a contrast to the Ducks' first win over James Madison on Dec. 20, when Oregon's defense allowed 509 yards of total offense and 31 points in the second quarter in a 51-34 win.
"Our defense had a lot to prove," said linebacker Tatum Tuoti, who had two sacks. "We all knew it wasn't even.We are glad we could close.That means a lot, especially after the JMU game.People were looking at us."
Tuioti said the emphasis in practice was being forced to rotate between players to not only get the ball back to the offense, but to keep Texas Tech off the field.The Red Raiders entered the game with one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, ranking No. 5 in the nation in scoring and total offense behind quarterback Behren Morton.
But from the start, Oregon made its presence felt, with Texas Tech running just six plays in the first quarter.On the Red Raiders' third drive, Oregon's Brandon Finney Jr. intercepted Morton for the first of his three touchdowns (two interceptions and a fumble recovery).Texas Tech did not have a first down until approximately 18 minutes into the game, tying its season low with three first downs and 88 yards in the first half.
However, Texas Tech trailed 6-0 at halftime.The turning point came early in the third quarter when, after an Oregon turnover, Texas Tech took possession of the ball at its 31. That quickly changed, however, when Mateo Ugalelei recovered Morton's punt at the 6-yard line.
The Ducks turned the turnover into a touchdown and Texas Tech didn't have many chances after that.
"We always say: get the ball back. That's really going to be a game-changer for our offense, for the whole team," Uyagaley said."I had an opportunity, I took my shot, I got the ball and it happened to bounce right next to me."
"Best defense we've faced this year," Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said."They did a great job defending us. I thought they did a good job of keeping the ball in front of them, not giving up too many big plays. We had a great run, explosive offense. They kept the ball in front of them. But you can't turn the ball over four times."
Texas Tech also entered the game as a spread defense, but it was Oregon that left the game with a defensive performance to remember -- a change of pace the team used for its headline-grabbing offense.While Oregon's offense had its issues, the defensive players felt the brunt.
Especially after the last game.
"Not necessarily to prove it to other people, but more to prove it to myself," Uiagalelei said. "We knew in the second half last week it wasn't up to standard. We didn't finish the way we wanted to. We knew going into this game it was going to be crucial to the success of this game. So with that in mind, the motivation will definitely be there."
