EUGENE, Ore. — In the afterglow of a 46-yard touchdown pass to Oregon receiver Malik Benson, who was wide open after streaking past a defensive back giving him 10 yards of pre-snap cushion, the Autzen Stadium public address system turned to Kendrick Lamar to assess the proceedings.
They not like us, they not like us
That much was evident from kickoff in Oregon’s 51-34 win over No. 12 seed James Madison in the finale of the College Football Playoff’s first round, capping a Saturday that featured blowouts of both CFP participants from outside the Power 4 conferences.
A year ago, Oregon found itself in a 34-0 hole late in the first half of a Rose Bowl quarterfinal nightmare against eventual national champion Ohio State.
Saturday, almost 11 years since the program’s last Playoff victory, it was the Ducks holding the shovel and burying James Madison, the Sun Belt champion who finished No. 24 in the CFP rankings but made the field as the fifth-highest ranked conference champ because ACC champion Duke (8-5) finished unranked.
The No. 5 seed led 7-0 after just four offensive plays. Oregon scored touchdowns on its first five drives, marching down the field for 63, 68, 75, 78 and 80 yards to take a 34-6 lead into halftime.
Ducks quarterback Dante Moore threw three touchdown passes and the Ducks ran for 150 yards on just 10 carries in the half, which included a five-yard touchdown run from the QB. Moore, a first-year starter who transferred from UCLA prior to the 2024 season to back up Dillon Gabriel, finished 19 of 27 for 313 yards, four touchdown passes and two interceptions.
Oregon closed as a 21-point favorite per BetMGM and spent most the night backing that lopsided line up, before James Madison broke several big plays en route to 28 second-half points.
Did James Madison belong?
The Dukes are only in their fourth season as a Football Bowl Subdivision member after a run as one of the best programs in Division I’s Football Championship Subdivision, winning national titles in 2004 and 2016.
On the program’s biggest stage yet at college football’s top level, James Madison struggled to tackle on the edges. They struggled to tackle Oregon’s ball carriers between the tackles as the offensive line created big holes. They struggled to protect dual-threat quarterback Alonza Barnett, who found some success on the ground but was consistently pressured when he dropped back to pass.
3 TDs in the 2nd quarter (so far) 🔥#GoDucks x @CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/bD62K2z3Hq
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) December 21, 2025
The Dukes’ defense entered Saturday’s matchup ranked fourth nationally in yards per play, but it was apparent the Big Ten is a different ballgame than the Sun Belt. Oregon averaged 16.6 yards per play over its first five drives, more than quadruple the 4.05 yards per play JMU had allowed on the season, and finished the night averaging 9.7 yards per play. The Ducks made it look easy.
James Madison was able to grind out lengthy drives early but kept settling for field goal attempts, one of which was blocked. But things opened up in the second half. Dukes running back Wayne Knight, whose 6.65 yards per carry this season trailed only Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love among backs with more than 150 carries, finished with 110 yards on 17 carries. Earlier this season, he managed just 12 yards on five carries in JMU’s 28-14 loss to Louisville, the Dukes’ only other P4 opponent.
JMU is a championship team at the Group of 5 level, and it found success with a double-pass and a fake punt for chunk gains, but when lined up against an Oregon team that ranks fifth in 247Sports Team Talent Composite, the gap in quality of athletes was vast.
Did we forget about Oregon?
After a 30-20 loss to Indiana in Eugene on Oct. 11, the Ducks became an afterthought in the Big Ten and national title races despite their 11-1 finish.
But has Oregon been overlooked? A dominant performance over the Sun Belt champion may not convince some yet, but it was a reminder this team has almost as much talent as any team in the field. It entered the postseason eighth nationally in yards per play and sixth nationally in yards per play allowed. That’s what championship contenders look like on paper.
And within an offense filled with explosive talent, an elite group of receivers may finally be approaching full health. Benson was the star of the night, with 107 yards and two touchdowns on three catches, but freshman phenom Dakorien Moore returned from injury to register his first catch since Oct. 25 and could be a major factor in the Orange Bowl. Star receiver Evan Stewart might even return after suffering a serious knee injury this summer.
An epic Orange Bowl awaits
Well, at least no one will complain about this matchup.
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech should be a heavyweight bout in the quarterfinals. Regardless of how much can be taken away from Oregon’s performance on Saturday, if the Ducks and Red Raiders play the way they have all year, this has the potential to be one of the best games of the season.
Pick your preferred storyline. A pair of top-10 scoring offenses and defenses. A newer Big Ten program going up against an OG Big 12 school. And two of the best-resourced, top-funded rosters in the sport — sneaker money vs. oil money. Maybe we can even get a friendly wager between megaboosters Phil Knight (Oregon) and Cody Campbell (Texas Tech).
These two teams recently faced off in nonconference play as well, with Oregon winning 38-30 in Lubbock in 2023.
In terms of obvious on-field interest this time, how will Moore fare against Texas Tech’s star-studded defense? The Ducks had their way with JMU, but the Dukes didn’t have the likes of David Bailey and Romello Height screaming off the edge, or Lee Hunter collapsing the pocket, or Jacob Rodriguez lurking at the second level.
Another one: Can Tech’s offense put Oregon’s defense on its heels? The Ducks’ young cornerbacks were largely untested against JMU. Texas Tech leads the FBS in plays of 20-plus yards and has some burners at wide receiver. Red Raiders quarterback Behren Morton should be as healthy as he’s been in some time after a three-week break.
Big picture, these are two programs with national championship aspirations and the money to make that a reality. The winner will be one step closer. Austin Mock’s CFP projections model gives each team a 50 percent chance of advancing.
The bracket benefits of the 5-seed show up
When the 12-team CFP format was first announced, many projected that the No. 5 seed could be the most valuable spot in the bracket, other than perhaps the top overall seed. Theoretically it offered a first-round game at home against a Group of 5 champion, followed by a matchup with the lowest-ranked of the four teams to earn byes.
No. 5 Texas advanced to the semifinals a season ago but didn’t get that projected path because No. 12 seed Clemson snuck into the field as ACC champion and faced the Longhorns in Austin.
This year, though, Oregon is showing the No. 5 spot’s value. They don’t have to worry about rust and drew an opener against the least talented roster in the field. And if Oregon was picking its quarterfinal foe, it would be Texas Tech. The Ducks would likely be underdogs against Indiana, Ohio State or Georgia but opened as a 1.5-point favorite against the Red Raiders, per BetMGM.
Trick plays galore
You can’t blame JMU’s loss on a lack of creativity. The Dukes emptied the kitchen sink in this game from a play-calling perspective, particularly in the second half, helping to keep the score a little closer than many expected.
Double passes, reverses, end arounds, direct snaps, a fake punt — JMU tried all of it, and most of it worked.
JMU leaps into the end zone ➡️
📺 TNT/truTV/TBS/HBO Max pic.twitter.com/Kf6zv3DZGk
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) December 21, 2025
Credit to JMU coach Bob Chesney and offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy, who’s known to trot out a healthy mix of looks and formations but upped the ante in this one. The Dukes were never really in this game, but they put some fun stuff on tape. When these JMU players and coaches reminisce in the years to come, those are the moments from this game they’ll remember.