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Oregon State defeated James Madison 51-34 in the first round of the College Football Playoffs on Saturday.
The score looked like it would be even more lopsided over the first three quarters, as Oregon took a 48-13 lead over JMU midway through the third quarter.
JMU was able to eventually cut the deficit by outscoring the Ducks 20-3 in the final quarter and a half.
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Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) passes for a 20-yard touchdown in the second quarter during a College Football Playoff first-round game between the Oregon Ducks and the James Madison Ducks on December 20, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Brian Murphy/Sportswire Icon via Getty Images)
The Ducks (12-1) advance to face Texas Tech in a quarterfinal game in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1. Oregon won a playoff game for the first time since 2014, when the Ducks beat Florida State in the Rose Bowl semifinals before losing to Ohio State.
James Madison (12-2) dropped Group of Five teams to 0-4 in CFP games after No. 17 Tulane lost 41-10 at No. 6 Mississippi on Saturday.
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore completed a 41-yard touchdown pass to Jamari Johnson less than two minutes into the game to give Oregon a lead it would not relinquish. Johnson caught Moore’s pass with his right hand, and raced into the end zone while pulling down a pair of defenders.
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Oregon Ducks running back Gordon Davison (0) runs the ball against James Madison Ducks defensive lineman Xavier Holmes (9) and linebacker Drew Spinogatti (56) during a College Football Playoff first-round game on Dec. 20, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Brian Murphy/Sportswire Icon via Getty Images)
James Madison responded with a 30-yard field goal from Morgan Suarez on its next drive, a goal that required 15 plays and burned 8:03 off the clock. The Ducks took over from there, racking up four straight touchdowns before the Dukes nailed another field goal from Suarez before halftime, bringing the score to 34-6.
By falling behind by such a large margin, James Madison took away from its rushing attack, which ranked fifth in the nation in average yards per game entering the evening. Alonza Barnett III, the Sun Belt Player of the Year, completed 23 of 48 passes, including a 47-yard touchdown pass to Nick DeGennaro on James Madison’s first drive of the third quarter.
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Oregon Ducks running back Deere Hill Jr. (23) scores a touchdown on a 56-yard run against James Madison Ducks safety Jacob Thomas (7) during a College Football Playoff first-round game on Dec. 20, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Brian Murphy/Sportswire Icon via Getty Images)
Oregon State responded immediately with two downs, including a second field goal by wide receiver Malik Benson and a blocked punt that Jayden Lemar scooped up and returned 15 yards for a score. James Madison scored the last three touchdowns.
The win was the Ducks’ seventh straight since losing to No. 1 Indiana 30-20 on Oct. 11. James Madison had won 11 straight.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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