Fernando Mendoza basks in Indiana’s spotlight after making final Heisman case
The emotion was palpable from the moment Fernando Mendoza turned toward the camera to start his postgame interview, as the celebration unfolded around him at Lucas Oil Stadium and this Indiana run — still ongoing — that he has orchestrated reached a new peak.
Mendoza, who threw for 222 yards and a touchdown during the Hoosiers’ shocking 13-10 win over Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game Saturday night in Indianapolis, made a final statement for his Heisman Trophy case, and the quarterback also ensured that Indiana likely will receive the No. 1 seed for the College Football Playoff.
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“It sounds so beautiful,” Mendoza told the Fox broadcast when asked about what it sounds like for Indiana to be Big Ten champions. “Who ever thought the Hoosiers would be here, but now the Hoosiers are flippin’ champs. Let’s go.”
Mendoza, a Cal transfer, connected with Elijah Sarratt for a 17-yard touchdown in the third quarter to give Indiana the lead for good, and he also completed a 33-yard pass to wideout Charlie Becker on third-and-6 with 2:26 remaining to drain more time off the clock following Ohio State’s missed field goal — which would’ve tied the game.
At the Heisman ceremony next weekend, Mendoza’s outing Saturday might be enough to propel him past the other finalists.
It only will add to his stock ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, too, when he could end up being one of the top players selected — and a potential target for the Jets if they’re able to land a pick high enough to draft him.
“We’re going day-by-day,” Mendoza told the broadcast Saturday following the game. “Whether it’s the offensive line, the defense, the coaches, special teams, we’re all process-oriented to one goal. That’s our thing, is we’re brothers. We can drag teams into the deep end because we know that we’re gonna stick together and we have the strongest glue ever.”
Mendoza threw for 2,758 yards, 32 touchdowns and five interceptions during Indiana’s 12 regular-season games, and despite throwing an early interception in the No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown Saturday, he recovered to do enough for a 13th consecutive victory.
He also overcame an early injury scare after taking a crushing hit from Ohio State defensive end Caden Curry on the first snap of the game and missing the next play before returning.
One year after winning just six games with a mediocre Cal team in a mediocre Atlantic Coast Conference, Mendoza will be the face of the top team in the postseason.
And he delivered a postgame interview that captured how much this latest stretch has meant to him, too.
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