CFP Quarterfinal Preview Oregon vs. Texas Tech
Texas Tech’s dominant defense will face the University of Oregon’s O-line in the CFP quarterfinals, which could depend on Dante Moore’s playmaking.
Texas Tech and Oregon State will meet in the Orange Bowl on Thursday, January 1st, for a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
The No. 4 Red Raiders (12-1) secured a first-round bye with a dominant 34-7 victory over BYU in the Big 12 Conference Championship. No. 5 Oregon State welcomed No. 12 James Madison in the first round in Eugene, Oregon, and defeated the Dukes 51-34, allowing more than 500 total yards and 28 points in the second half.
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Texas Tech secured one of the nation’s best transfer portal classes last offseason, adding key players like All-American edge rusher David Bailey, fellow edge rusher Romello Hite and Interior defensive lineman Lee Hunter to a unit that ranks third in the nation in total defense (254.4 yards per game).
Oregon State (12-1) did little offensively this season despite losing Heisman Trophy finalist Dillon Gabriel and several other weapons to the NFL. Quarterback Dante Moore was one of the best passers in the country this season, passing for 3,046 yards, 28 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, completing 72.4 percent of his passes.
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Oregon vs. Texas Tech Score
This section is updated live.
| team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
| Oregon | 3 | 3 | 7 | – | – |
| Texas Tech University | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
Oregon vs Texas Tech live updates
This section will be updated.
After a Texas Tech turnover, Jordan Davison scored a 6-yard touchdown run to give Oregon a 13-0 lead. The Red Raiders’ defense cannot overcome a very short field.
Behren Morton was strip-sacked by Matayo Uiagerelei and returned the ball 16 yards to Texas Tech’s own 6-yard line.
This is a huge play for Oregon State and a devastating failure for Texas Tech, especially when it comes to their defensive play. This is the Red Raiders’ third turnover of the day.
Dante Moore’s run fell one yard short, and Texas Tech closed down Oregon’s fourth-and-2 attempt. The Red Raiders occupy their own 34-yard line.
Oregon State has made 3 of 6 on fourth down attempts so far.
Texas Tech’s offensive woes continue as the third quarter begins with a three-and-out.
Oregon State has a 6-0 lead at halftime due to the defensive battle so far. Oregon has 198 yards of offense so far, while Texas Tech has gained 88.
The Red Raiders will need to make some adjustments at halftime to make shots.
Oregon was unable to reach the end zone, but Atticus Sappington made a 39-yard field goal to extend the lead to 6-0.
The Ducks led 6-0 with 1:33 left in the second quarter, but Texas Tech’s defense continued to pull away.
Texas Tech’s Cameron Dickey fumbled on a run play before Oregon’s Bryce Bettcher recovered. The Ducks got the ball back at the Red Raiders’ 29-yard line.
Texas Tech’s offensive line isn’t helping the lockdown defense at this point.
Oregon went for the third and fourth down of the drive, but Texas Tech got close and stopped them on fourth-and-goal at the 2-yard line. Texas Tech held the score at 3-0 and took control deep in their own half.
David Bailey knocked down a pass from Dante Moore on the play.
Dan Lanning rolled the dice again for Oregon State, converting a 4-yard pass from Dante Moore to Noah Whittington on a fourth-and-3.
The Ducks go all out on this drive, moving to the Texas Tech 39-yard line.
Lo and behold, Oregon State punter James Ferguson-Reynolds faked a punt and threw a short pass to Zach Grace for an 11-yard gain on a fourth-and-3. Grace got wide open there and moved the Ducks’ chains to the Texas Tech 46-yard line.
Stone Harrington attempted a 54-yard field goal, but the kick missed to the right. Oregon still led 3-0 with 10:53 left in the first half.
Texas Tech finally got a big play on offense as Jay Coby Williams cut back past the tackler and completed a 50-yard run. This was the Red Raiders’ first first down conversion of the game.
Texas Tech advanced to the Oregon State 38-yard line.
Texas Tech is forced into a three-and-out after the interception. The Red Raiders’ stingy defense has so far saved the offense in key sequences.
Brandon Finney Jr. intercepts Behren Morton’s pass and returns the ball to Oregon on a short field at Texas Tech’s own 33-yard line.
The Red Raiders’ offense has struggled so far since Morton threw his first interception in his past 147 pass attempts.
Behren Morton was sacked for a 17-yard loss on third-and-three, forcing Texas Tech into another three-and-out. With 1:25 left in the first quarter, the Red Raiders had six plays for minus-2 yards.
Oregon attempts to score on a fourth-and-1 from Texas Tech’s own 23-yard line, but a run play with Jordan Davison is detonated by inside defensive lineman Lee Hunter.
Dante Moore completed 10 of 12 passes for 87 yards, but the Ducks scored three points late in the first quarter.
Texas Tech forced Jay Coby Williams to make three consecutive plays, but the Red Raiders were able to punt from a 3-and-out to a 4-and-2. Oregon takes control at its own 28-yard line.
Atticus Sappington sank a 50-yard field goal, but it came after Texas Tech’s David Bailey sacked Dante Moore on third down for a 12-yard loss.
The Ducks’ passing game was successful early on, with Dante Moore completing 5 of 6 passes for 55 yards on the first drive.
Oregon State quarterback Dante Moore will start every possession in the Orange Bowl. Here we take a look at the second round of the 2025-26 CFP quarterfinals.
Oregon State receiver Malik Benson, linebacker Bryce Bettcher, defensive lineman Bear Alexander and offensive lineman Emmanuel Pregnon will captain the Orange Bowl vs. Texas Tech.
ESPN’s “College GameDay” aired a feature on Texas Tech star linebacker Jacob Rodriguez’s unique path to becoming one of the best players in the sport. The full text is as follows:
Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton has been plagued by injuries all season, but said his winning percentage in the Orange Bowl was closer to 80-85 percent. The redshirt senior is coming off a three-touchdown performance against BYU in the Big 12 Conference Championship Game.
Morton missed two games this season with a lingering hairline fracture in his foot.
Here are his stats this season:
- Pass: 201 of 300 passes (67%) for 2,643 yards, 22 touchdowns, 4 interceptions
What time does Oregon vs. Texas Tech start?
- time: Noon Eastern Standard Time
- date: Thursday, January 1st
- position: Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, Florida)
Which TV channel will be broadcasting Oregon vs. Texas Tech today?
Oregon Tech and Texas Tech will be broadcast live on ESPN, with streaming options available on the ESPN app or on Fubo, which offers a free trial.
Oregon vs. Texas Tech predictions, selections, odds
Odds provided by BetMGM as of December 31st.
- Spread: Oregon (-2.5)
- Money line: Oregon -140 | Texas Tech +115
- over/under 51.5
- Prediction: Oregon State 24; Texas Tech University 20
Although Texas Tech’s defense did its best to withstand Oregon State’s powerful attack, it was unable to attack effectively. The Ducks caught up late and advanced to the semifinals.
