When the stakes were highest, Indiana football didn’t blink. Down the stretch of a national championship game, with the season-and maybe the future of the program-hanging in the balance, the Hoosiers leaned into their identity: grit, trust, and a quarterback who’s become the heartbeat of the team.
Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner and projected No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, put everything on the line for this moment. And head coach Curt Cignetti?
He didn’t flinch either. Faced with a fourth-and-4 deep in enemy territory in the fourth quarter, up by just three, Cignetti could’ve played it safe.
A chip-shot field goal would’ve padded the lead to six. But championships aren’t won with caution-they’re won with conviction.
So, he went for it.
And not just any play. Cignetti handed the moment to his leader, dialing up a quarterback draw with a lead blocker. The message was clear: if we’re going down, we’re going down with our best.
Mendoza delivered.
This wasn’t a clean, untouched sprint to the end zone. This was a quarterback run that turned into a highlight-reel moment-equal parts power, balance, and sheer will.
Mendoza, once jokingly compared to a “baby giraffe” by Kirk Herbstreit for his lanky gait, showed the kind of toughness that wins over locker rooms and leaves legacies. He had the first down, but he wanted more.
He took a hit, spun off it, absorbed another, and lunged across the goal line.
Touchdown, Hoosiers.
It gave Indiana a 24-14 lead with just over nine minutes to play, answering a Miami score with a statement of their own. It was a drive-and a decision-that could redefine the trajectory of Indiana football.
But that moment didn’t happen in isolation.
Just before that, the Hoosiers had flipped the game’s momentum with a huge special teams play. Mikail Kamara burst through the line to block a punt, and Isaiah Jones was right there to scoop it up and take it to the house. That kind of play doesn’t just change the scoreboard-it changes the energy, the belief, the sideline.
And from there, Indiana’s defense-so often the backbone of this team-was asked to close the door. They’ve done it all season, and with a national title within reach, they were going to have to do it one more time.
Cignetti’s trust in his quarterback, his team, and the moment wasn’t just bold-it was program-defining. He’d already voiced his frustration earlier in the game over missed personal foul calls on hits to Mendoza.
But instead of letting that frustration linger, he doubled down on belief. He put the ball in Mendoza’s hands and let his star do what stars do.
Whether this moment marks a turning point or simply adds to a growing legacy, one thing is clear: Indiana didn’t just play for a championship-they played like champions.