The Indiana Hoosiers secured their first national title in program history after defeating the Miami Hurricanes 27-21 in the CFP National Championship. The win capped off their perfect season and advanced them to 16-0.
After hiring head coach Curt Cignetti following the 2023 season, Indiana saw immediate success.
In his first year, he led the Hoosiers to an 11-2 season, as well as their first-ever playoff appearance. Although they fell short, losing to their in-state rival Notre Dame, they had high hopes for the next season.
Indiana made several transfer portal moves in the offseason, including bringing in soon-to-be Heisman quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
While most programs are made up of highly ranked recruits, Indiana didn’t have a single five-star player on their roster heading into the season.This, however, did not stop them from having one of the greatest seasons of all time.
Prior to playing at Indiana, Fernando Mendoza spent three years at the University of California. After redshirting his freshman year and graduating with a business degree,
Mendoza decided to enter the transfer portal and join his younger brother, Alberto, at Indiana. Fernando quickly made a name for himself by leading the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and becoming the first Indiana player to win the Heisman Trophy.
Despite growing up in the Miami area, Fernando was not a highly recruited prospect out of high school. He played at Christopher Columbus High School, where his father also attended and was teammates with Miami’s head coach Mario Cristobal.
Although Fernando attended several Miami football camps, he was overlooked and never received an offer. Playing in the national championship was truly a full-circle moment for Fernando and his family.
Not only did he play against Miami, but the game was also played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, just over a half-hour from where he grew up.
While the game was close until the very end, one of the most important plays came on a 4th and 5 with 9:27 left in the fourth quarter. Indiana was in the red zone with a 17-14 lead and decided to go for it. Instead of passing, Fernando Mendoza kept the ball and took off for the end zone.
Taking multiple hits, Mendoza was able to spin free and dive for the touchdown. It was a gutsy call by Coach Cignetti, but it ended up paying off in the end.
With just under two minutes on the clock, Miami still had a chance to win it. The Hurricanes took the ball down to Indiana’s 41-yard line when Indiana cornerback Jamari Sharpe intercepted Carson Beck to seal the victory. After a hard fought game, the Indiana Hoosiers were national champions at last.
