1 of 5 | Indiana Hoosiers cornerback D’Angelo Ponds celebrates after intercepting a pass from Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore and returning it for a touchdown on the opening play of the Peach Bowl on Friday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Photo by Mike Zarrilli/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 9 (UPI) — D’Angelo Ponds pounced on the first pass of the Peach Bowl, intercepting Oregon, scoring on a return and sparking a 56-22 Indiana rout in Friday’s Peach Bowl to clinch Indiana’s first national title game appearances.
“I feel like we put a dagger in them in the second half,” Ponds said at the trophy presentation. “We definitely made a statement to show how dominant we were.”
The top-ranked Hoosiers (15-0) forced three first-half turnovers and led 35-7 trough the first two quarters of the College Football Playoff semifinal thrashing in Atlanta. Heisman winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw five touchdown passes, including three in the first half.
The Hoosiers will battle the Miami Hurricanes (13-2) in the College Football Playoff finale Jan. 19 in Miami Gardens, Fla.
“This is what every little kid dreams of,” said Mendoza, a Miami native. “We are going to go to the national championship and compete our butts off.”
Mendoza, who cited the Hoosiers’ 28 points off of turnovers, didn’t need to be on the field for the first points of the night. Ponds palmed Dante Moore’s first pass attempt just seconds into the game. The Hoosiers cornerback finished the play by sprinting 25 yards up the right flank for an early edge.
Ducks quarterback Dante Moore helped even the score with a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jamari Johnson to end the next possession, but the Hoosiers responded with a surge of 35-consecutive points.
Mendoza found wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. for an 8-yard score at the end of the first quarter to give the lead back to the Hoosiers. Moore fumbled early in the second quarter, giving the Hoosiers a short field. Running back Kaelon Black scored on a 1-yard run less than a minute later.
Mendoza threw his second score about five minutes later, finding Charlie Becker for a 36-yard touchdown. Moore lost his second fumble — and committed his third turnover of the half — on the next Ducks drive. Mendoza threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt at the end of the quarter to give the Hoosiers a 28-point lead of the break.
Mendoza threw his fourth touchdown pass to a fourth different teammate on the first possession of the second half. That 13-yard pass, which ended an 11-play, 75-yard drive, found E.J. Williams Jr.
Ducks running back Jay Harris ran for a 2-yard score on the next drive. But Mendoza continued to pile on, throwing his fifth touchdown pass of the night with 11:36 remaining to push the Hoosiers lead to 49-15.
Black ran for his second touchdown of the Peach Bowl with 5:13 remaining to further cement the victory.