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Fernando Mendoza called his shots in front of his friends and family in the biggest moment of his collegiate career as he helped the Indiana Hoosiers to a national championship.
Mendoza took the snap on 4th and 5 and ran it up the gut. He bounced off a pair of Miami Hurricanes defenders, leaped from the 2-yard line and extended his hands to place the ball over the goal line while being beaten as he fell into the end zone.
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Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers dives for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Miami Hurricanes in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Indiana went up 24-14 with 6:32 left in the game and the Hoosiers won the game, 27-21.
“That’s one thing about our team,” Mendoza told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the game. “We always want to put it all on the line. I want to give all the credit and thanks to God. My offensive linemen blocked perfectly and we were able to execute as a team against a common goal. Get Indiana Hoosier synergy to score and give our team a chance to win the game.
INDIANA’S CURT CIGNETTI COMPLAINES ABOUT MISSING CALL AGAINST MIAMI AT HALFTIME OF NATIONAL TITLE GAME
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) carries the ball for a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes in the fourth quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026. (Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images)
“I had to go for air. I would die for my team. Whatever they need me to do. They need me to take shots up front or behind, whatever it is, I’ll die for my team out there and I know they’ll do the same for me. That’s what makes us so close. That’s what makes the national championship so special.”
Mendoza, bloodied in the first quarter after taking a huge hit to the face, was 16-of-27 for 186 passing yards and the rushing score.
“He’s so tough,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti told ESPN’s Molly McGrath. “He got hit. He had no time. He keeps getting back up. Just a great competitor and there’s no way it gets done without those kinds of performances at that position. I can’t say enough good things about him.”
Fernando Mendoza of the Indiana Hoosiers celebrates a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Miami Hurricanes in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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Indiana is the first team in college football history to finish 16-0 since Yale did it in 1894.
