INDIANAPOLIS, IND — Another playoff game, another Indiana demolition. The top-ranked and undefeated Hoosiers never trailed in a 56-22 trouncing of No. 5 Oregon in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl on Friday night. The Hoosiers advanced to the CFP national championship game where they'll face No. 10 Miami on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium.

Indiana improved to 15-0 and opened as 7.5-point favorites over the Hurricanes.

Defensive Splash Plays Set the Tone

Cornerback D'Angelo Ponds intercepted Dante Moore on the first play from scrimmage and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown.

"Kind of read his eyes and got a good jump on it," Ponds said. "It's just an amazing feeling, walking into the end zone."

Peach Bowl opens with Indiana pick-6 off Oregon's Dante Moore

Oregon answered with a touchdown drive to tie the game at 7-7. That was the first and only time the Ducks had any ounce of momentum.

Moore fumbled twice in the first half. The first came on a run-pass option when Moore's pass attempt clipped Hill Jr. on the fake handoff and popped loose. Mario Landino recovered at the Oregon 3-yard line. Kaelon Black scored three plays later for a 21-7 lead.

The second fumble came on a Daniel Ndukwe sack with 2:36 left in the first half. Landino recovered again, and Mendoza found Elijah Sarratt for a 2-yard touchdown — Mendoza's third TD of the first half — to make it 35-7 at halftime.

Mendoza Stays Surgical

Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza completed 17 of 20 passes for 177 yards and five touchdowns with zero interceptions. It was his second straight CFP game with more touchdown passes than incompletions.

Mendoza found seven different receivers. Sarratt led with seven catches for 75 yards and two scores. Mendoza also added 28 rushing yards.

"My job is to be effective with really accurate balls and really great decisions, and that's what I pride myself on every single play," Mendoza said. "None of that matters. All that matters right now is the national championship."

Balanced Offense

Indiana rushed for 185 yards at 4.6 yards per carry. The Hoosiers converted 11 of 14 third downs after starting 9 of 10. Indiana went 5-for-5 in red zone opportunities.

Charlie Becker caught a 36-yard touchdown strike from Mendoza for a 28-7 lead in the second quarter.

Championship Game Preview

The title game has a personal angle for Mendoza. He grew up less than a mile from the University of Miami campus and attended the same high school as Miami coach Mario Cristobal (Christopher Columbus in Miami). Mendoza has never played at Hard Rock Stadium.

"We have definitely talked about it," said Alberto Mendoza, Fernando's younger brother and teammate. "Knowing that we might see them, Miami at Miami, is just kind of crazy because everyone from my hometown are Miami fans. It will mean a lot."

Season Context

Indiana has outscored opponents by an average of 31.5 points per game this season, the largest margin in college football. In two CFP games against Alabama and Oregon, Indiana won by a combined score of 94-25.

Curt Cignetti improved to 26-2 as Indiana's head coach.

"There was a lot of skepticism after last year, that we were a fluke," Cignetti said. "I think a lot of that negative stuff in the media fueled the guys returning from this team, and we added some real key pieces."

"It's a standard at this point," Becker said. "But again, the job's not finished. We still have another game."