IU takes down Oregon, advances to national championship

ATLANTA (WISH) — IU beat Oregon, 56-22, to win the Peach Bowl and advance to the national championship.

“Right now, I’m overcome by emotion,” IU quarterback Fernando Mendoza said. “I don’t even think it will sink in until after the National Championship, so I’m going to make sure that I pour every single ounce of preparation that I have into this game because I owe it to my teammates, owe it to the coaches, and I owe it to Hoosier nation.”

“It’s huge,” IU linebacker Aiden Fisher said. “We’ve earned another opportunity to play together again. I think that’s all this team wants is more time together to just be with your brothers. We have a special bond. It’s a special team. We’re impacting lives, and I know I said it last week, more than we even know, so it’s just special to be a part of and we’ve earned the right to play together one more time.”

“We always have a chip on our shoulder and it’s always growing every single game and all the doubters who doubt us, it just grows even more and we’re excited for the next opportunity,” IU wide receiver Charlie Becker said.

“It’s a blessing,” IU center Pat Coogan said. “I’m honored. We’ve earned the right to be there. There’s no doubt about it. We’ve paid the price, paid the sacrifice, and we’ve got to continue to do so. We’ve got to put in the work in practice and the rest will take care of itself. We’ve got to put in the work.”

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