Oregon's suffocating defense shut down Texas Tech's explosive offense, forcing turnovers and dominating possession for a commanding Orange Bowl shutout victory.
Texas Tech's high-octane offense finally ran into a brick wall, then slammed into it four times.
No. 5 Oregon smothered the No. 4 Red Raiders 23-0 in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Orange Bowl on Thursday, turning what was supposed to be a fireworks show into a long, quiet night for a Tech unit that entered the game averaging 42.5 points and 480.3 yards per contest.
The Ducks' defense authored the story from the opening whistle. Matayo Uiagalelei forced a fumble that helped set up points, and freshman Brandon Finney Jr. put together a game Texas Tech fans will be seeing in nightmares ... three takeaways (two interceptions and a fumble recovery) as Oregon repeatedly stole possessions and momentum.
Tech turned it over four times total, failed on three fourth-down tries, and endured four three-and-outs in a performance that looked nothing like the group that spent the season torching defenses.
Oregon's offense didn't need to be flashy; it just needed to cash in. Quarterback Dante Moore threw for 234 yards, Jordon Davison powered in two rushing touchdowns, and Atticus Sappington added three field goals to keep stacking points while Tech's offense kept stalling.
The pivotal moment came early in the third quarter when Uiagalelei stripped Behren Morton in Oregon-friendly territory, rumbled deep into the red zone, and Davison punched it in one play later to make it 13-0.
Any lingering hope died when Morton threw a red-zone interception early in the fourth quarter, followed by another backbreaking fourth-down stop near midfield.
By the time Davison plunged in from the 1-yard line with 16 seconds left, it was a lid slammed shut.
After the game, Tech head coach Joey McGuire didn't sugarcoat it, calling Oregon the best defense the Red Raiders faced all year and apologizing to the fans who made the trip.
Morton owned the execution issues as well, saying Tech had a strong plan but didn’t make routine plays.
Oregon now moves on to the Peach Bowl semifinal on Jan. 9 to face either Indiana or Alabama, with the national title game set for Jan. 19 in Miami Gardens.
Texas Tech finishes 12-2 and will turn the page toward 2026, opening at home against Abilene Christian on Sept. 5, while Oregon's defense just gave the rest of the bracket a very real warning.