On Nov. 4, 2023, Indiana football redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza faced off against Oregon as signal caller for the University of California, Berkeley.
At the time, Mendoza was a redshirt freshman. But the young quarterback struggled, throwing for 177 yards and an interception, while the Ducks notched a 63-19 victory.
Now, Mendoza searches for redemption when he takes on the Ducks for the first time in an Indiana uniform Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning understands Mendoza will be better equipped to put pressure on the Ducks this time around.
“I think he's surrounded by some really talented players, and I think, again, has a really clear understanding of scheme,” Lanning said in a press conference Monday.
Across his first five games with the Hoosiers, Mendoza has led one of the most potent passing attacks this season, as his 197.76 passing efficiency rate ranks second in the nation.
This mark has powered a strong statistical start for Mendoza in 2025, who has accumulated 1,208 passing yards and leads the Big Ten with 16 touchdown passes, while tossing just one interception.
The Miami native has generated strong connections with senior wide receiver Elijah Sarratt and redshirt junior wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., who have each hauled in six touchdown receptions — tied for the most in the Big Ten.
Lanning credited the Hoosiers’ consistent passing offense that has propelled them to a 5-0 start to the season.
“Yeah, their timing is really impressive,” Lanning said. “They know where guys are going to be at. They do a really good job of shaping the routes. He's got great delivery. He's able to throw the ball extremely well, but he's throwing it. He knows where his wide out's going to be, he knows what coverage he's throwing into.”
However, Oregon poses the most difficult test for Mendoza and the Indiana wide receiver corps yet.
In their ranked matchup against Penn State on Sept. 27, the Ducks held Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar to a season-low 137 yards passing. This has been a common trend for Oregon, as its stifling secondary has yet to surrender a 200-yard passing game to opponents this season.
The Ducks have allowed just 123.4 passing yards per game this season, which ranks third lowest in the nation. Oregon’s defense has also been effective at preventing opposing scores, allowing just 61 points across five games, which ties for the sixth lowest mark in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
With a difficult passing attack on the horizon for the Ducks defense, Lanning remains confident in his secondary to continue improving and building on their success.
“Yeah, preparation,” Lanning said. “These guys have worked really, really hard. We pitch a lot at them every single week about understanding how we're going to play certain coverages or adapt those changes. Those guys have worked really hard, prepared really hard, and they push themselves in practice to get the results you want on the field on Saturdays.”
Mendoza and the Hoosiers’ matchup against Oregon marks their second road contest of the season. The Cream and Crimson dominated through the air in their first four games but struggled to get their passing rolling during their first road trip against Iowa, when Mendoza completed a season-low 56.5% of his passes.
Despite a tough matchup heading into another hostile crowd in Eugene, and against an Oregon team that has won a nation-leading 18 straight home games, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti’s message to Mendoza is simple.
“I just want Fernando, like the rest of the guys on the team, to relax and play their game,” Cignetti said. “We're just going to go out there and play our game and play it well.”
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
