Fernando Mendoza’s leap becomes a lasting symbol of IU football’s national championship season
- Josh Pos
- 2h ago
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – When he bent his right arm, it was clear that he had taken a bruising. During his postgame interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza showed the contusions painting his throwing arm black and blue.
Still, his radiant smile told the real story. Minutes earlier, Indiana had won the national championship, beating Miami (FL) 27-21. Inside Hard Rock Stadium, ABBA’s “Fernando” blared as Hoosier fans serenaded their quarterback with his unofficial anthem.
They’d just witnessed history and knew it wouldn’t have been possible without No. 15 in the grass-stained crimson uniform.
“There are no words,” Mendoza said. “This is the most special moment of my life and there’s no one else that I’d rather do it with.”
The box score didn’t reflect the weight of the moment he was describing.
Mendoza didn’t throw a touchdown pass and finished with only 186 yards. Yet the Heisman Trophy winner had a moment that is sure to live on in Bloomington.
With less than 10 minutes left in a three-point game, the Indiana offense stayed on the field for a 4th & 5 play at the Miami 12. The game in the balance, Curt Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan put faith in Mendoza’s legs.
He galloped up the seam to pick up a first down to keep the drive alive. Mendoza wasn’t done there, however. Unafraid of contact, he pinballed off a pair of would-be tacklers and superman dived into the end zone for what ultimately became the championship-winning touchdown.
Omar Cooper Jr. was on the sideline for the play. Once he saw his quarterback pop back up after absorbing a ferocious hit, the moment felt familiar — the same resolve Mendoza had shown all season.
“That’s the player he is,” Cooper Jr. said. “He’s gonna do whatever he has to do to help the team win, and he put his body on the line for us.”
The moment was the payoff for a night of punishment.
Miami’s defensive front made its presence known from its opening possession. Its torrent pass rush put pressure on Mendoza and delivered punishing hits to get in his head.
After Hurricane defensive back Jakobe Thomas delivered a crushing hit to his helmet on a zone read, Mendoza reached for his facemask. Blood trickled from his lip from the impact.
It didn’t stop him.
Play after play, Mendoza stood in and absorbed hit after hit. With defenders bearing down, he kept delivering one big play after another — all in the name of winning for “the boys.”
“I’ve seen it all year long, his ability to bounce back, take hits, not let it faze him,” Shanahan said. “I saw him get up slowly a couple of times. I think it was either our first or second drive; he took a couple of hits while he was delivering the ball. But somehow it never really phased him throughout the game.”
It’s who Mendoza is. His never-say-die attitude, matched by elite talent, positioned Indiana to win all 16 games in his lone season with the program. Personality and passion were the reasons Curt Cignetti placed the 6-foot-5 transfer from Cal as his top portal target last offseason.
Mendoza’s postgame interviews swept the nation over the past six months, drawing attention for his selflessness. He never sought the spotlight. Instead, he elevated everyone who helped put him in front of the microphone.
Aware of his quarterback’s viral moments on the mic, Cignetti doesn’t buy the “soft” narrative. He believes what he saw between the white lines proves the opposite.
“Let me tell you, Fernando, I know he’s great in interviews and comes off as the All-American guy,” Cignetti explained. “But he has the heart of a lion when it comes to competition. That guy competes like a warrior.”
Indiana athletics has no shortage of moments etched into Hoosier hearts. Keith Smart’s “The Shot” in 1987 to beat Syracuse. Christian Watford’s “WatShot” to upset Kentucky in 2011. Michael Penix’s “The Reach” in 2020 to knock off Penn State.
Fernando Mendoza’s “The Run” — Jan. 19, 2026 — now belongs beside them, immortalized in Indiana lore and perhaps bound for bronze beneath the statue of the leaping quarterback who capped a Hall of Fame season at the goal line.
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