National Title Showdown: Beck vs. Mendoza Could Come Down to the Blitz
For the first time since the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, the Miami Hurricanes are back in the national title game. And while there's plenty of credit to go around for their return to college football’s biggest stage, head coach Mario Cristobal’s work in the transfer portal-especially at quarterback-has played a major role.
Cristobal landed Carson Beck last offseason, betting big on the former Georgia signal-caller with a $4 million NIL package. Beck brought SEC experience, but also some question marks-he was coming off an elbow injury and an uneven season in Athens. Still, the Hurricanes rolled the dice, and now they’re one win away from a championship.
But here’s where things get interesting: Miami could be facing the very quarterback they passed on.
Fernando Mendoza, a Miami native and Heisman Trophy winner, will be lining up for Indiana in Monday night’s title game at Hard Rock Stadium. He went to the same high school as Cristobal.
He was right there. And now he’s coming home with a shot to beat the program that didn’t make a harder push for him.
Beck has been solid. Mendoza has been spectacular. And when you break down the matchup, especially under pressure, it’s clear that how these two quarterbacks handle the blitz may ultimately decide who walks away with the trophy.
The Blitz Factor: Where the Game Could Be Won or Lost
Both defenses in this matchup know how to bring heat. Indiana’s Bryant Haines and Miami’s Corey Hetherman aren’t shy about dialing up pressure, and they’ve got the personnel to make it count. Miami boasts a disruptive front led by Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor, guys who can win one-on-one matchups and collapse pockets without exotic schemes.
But even when defenses do get to Mendoza, it rarely rattles him.
At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, the redshirt junior stands tall in the pocket and doesn’t flinch when things get messy. On pressured dropbacks, he’s completing just over 50% of his passes-not eye-popping at first glance, until you consider how aggressive he is.
Mendoza isn’t checking down; he’s pushing the ball downfield, trusting his receivers to make plays even in tight coverage. He’s averaging 7.8 yards per attempt under pressure, with nine touchdowns to just two picks.
That’s the difference. He doesn’t just survive pressure-he exploits it.
Beck, on the other hand, has shown real growth but still carries some lingering concerns. Early in the season, his pocket presence was shaky.
He’d get jumpy, bailing on plays or forcing throws. That aggressiveness, without Mendoza’s arm talent, led to nine interceptions in his first eight starts.
To his credit, Beck has cleaned it up-just one interception in the last six games. But the trade-off has been costly.
He’s holding the ball longer, and his pressure-to-sack rate has gone up. That’s a problem against a defense like Indiana’s, which thrives on getting offenses off schedule and forcing third-and-long situations.
By the Numbers: Mendoza Separates When the Heat’s On
Let’s break it down with the data. When neither quarterback is blitzed, their numbers are eerily similar across the board-completion percentage, yards per attempt, even turnover-worthy play rate. But when the blitz comes, Mendoza pulls away.
Here’s how they stack up when blitzed:
| Stat | Beck | Mendoza |
|---|
| Completion % | 69.3% | 70.9% | | Yards/Attempt | 7.3 | 9.8 |
| TD/INT | 17/6 | 25/3 | | Pressure-to-Sack Rate | 20.5% | 12.9% |
| Time to Throw | 2.28s | 2.51s | | Average Depth of Target | 7.0 | 10.1 |
Mendoza is throwing deeper, completing more passes, and turning pressure into points-not just avoiding mistakes. That’s what separates good quarterbacks from elite ones.
Beck’s numbers aren’t poor, but they tell a different story. He’s quicker to get the ball out under pressure, but not as effective. He’s more likely to take a sack, and his throws don’t stretch the defense the way Mendoza’s do.
The Bottom Line
This game is going to be won in the trenches and in the split-second decisions quarterbacks make when the pocket starts to collapse. Both teams can bring pressure.
Both quarterbacks will face it. But only one has consistently punished defenses for trying.
That’s Fernando Mendoza.
He’s the Heisman winner for a reason. And if Miami can’t find a way to disrupt him without getting burned, they could be watching their dream season end at the hands of the quarterback they let get away.
Monday night in Miami, it’s not just about who handles the blitz-it’s about who owns it.