Former Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragons’ wide receiver Malik Benson helped lead the No. 5 Oregon Ducks to a 23-0 victory over No. 4 Texas Tech on New Year’s Day in the Orange Bowl/College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
With the victory in the Capital One Orange Bowl game at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., Oregon improved to 13-1 and tied the school record for victories. Texas Tech, the Big 12 champion, finished the season 12-2.
Oregon will play No. 1-ranked Indiana (14-0) in the CFP semifinals Friday, Jan. 9, at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.
Indiana overpowered Alabama 24-0 Thursday in the Rose Bowl game in Pasadena, Calif.
Indiana defeated Oregon 30-20 in a Big 10 Conference matchup on Oct. 11 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.
The University of Miami will play Mississippi (Ole Miss) in the Fiesta Bowl next Thursday, Jan. 8, in Glendale, Ariz. Ole Miss defeated Georgia 39-34 in the All-State CFP Sugar Bowl quarterfinal game Thursday night in New Orleans.
The CFP national championship game is Monday, Jan. 19, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Benson, a 6-foot, 195-pound Lansing, Kan., High School multi-sport standout, caught 5 passes for 51 yards from quarterback Dante Moore, including a great catch on the sidelines. He returned one punt for 28 yards in the third quarter.
Benson now has 41 catches for 696 yards and six TDs. NFL Draft experts in December projected Benson as being selected in the sixth or seventh round in the 2026 NFL Draft or as a free agent signing.
However, Benson’s stock could be rising. Oregon coach Dan Lanning told ESPN sideline reporter Katie George that Benson has made a major impact on the program in the past six games.
Benson, who played two seasons of college football at Hutchinson Community College, one year at the University of Alabama and one year at Florida State University, before settling in Eugene, Ore., for his senior season.
Benson caught 5 passes for 119 yards in Oregon’s 51-34 win over James Madison University in the first round of the CFP, including touchdown catches of 46 and 45 yards.
Oregon led Texas Tech 3-0 after one quarter on a 50-yard field goal by Atticus Sappington. He added a 39-yard field goal in the second quarter for a 6-0 Oregon halftime lead.
Oregon’s Jordon Davison scored on a 7-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to put the Ducks ahead 13-0.
Oregon linebacker Matayo Uiagalalei set up the touchdown with a strip sack of Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton and a fumble recovery.
In the fourth quarter, Oregon true freshman cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. intercepted a Morton pass in the end zone to stop a Red Raiders’ drive. Finney made 6 tackles, intercepted 2 passes and recovered a fumble.
Sappington kicked a 43-yard field (his third field goal of the game) to make the score 16-0 with less than 8 minutes left in the game. With 4:45 left in the game, Sappington missed on his fourth field goal attempt.
Davison added his second touchdown on a 1-yard run with 16 seconds left in the game. Sappington’s second extra point made the final score 23-0.
Moore completed 26-of-33 passes for 234 yards and one interception for the Ducks. Jamari Johnson caught 4 passes for 66 yards.
Davison rushed for 42 yards on 15 carries and fellow freshman Noah Whittington added 31 yards on 13 carries.
Morton completed 18-of-32 passes for 137 yards. Texas Tech’s J’Koby Williams rushed for 81 yards on 13 carries. Terrance Cartter Jr. caught 9 passes for 72 yards.
Bryce Boettcher and Dillon Thienemann each made 12 tackles for the Ducks’ defense. Teitum Tuioti made 6 tackles, including 2 sacks. He also caught a pass on a fake punt.
Ben Roberts led the Red Raiders’ defense with 16 tackles and an interception. Jacob Rodriguez made 11 stops, David Bailey 9, Branden Jordan 9, Lee Hunter 7 and Amier Boyd 7.
Roberts, Rodriguez and Bailey are projected as first-round draft picks.
