PASADENA, Calif. — All sorts of history were written into No. 1 Indiana football's record books throughout 2025. Fernando Mendoza led the charge during his first season in Bloomington.
Whether it was his nation-leading 33 passing touchdowns, his three game-winning drives in the fourth quarter in hostile road environments or leading the Hoosiers to their first Big Ten Championship since 1967, the redshirt junior quarterback did it all.
Mendoza's regular season and Big Ten title game performances cemented his position as Indiana's first-ever Heisman Trophy winner.
But for all the records he helped write, 2025 concluded by the time Mendoza took to the field on New Year's Day to write another chapter against the No. 9 University of Alabama at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
The Hoosiers continued making once-unfathomable history. Indiana throttled Alabama 38-3 — a margin of defeat against the Crimson Tide that hadn't been accomplished since 1998, which was five years before Mendoza was born.
Curt Cignetti praised Mendoza throughout the regular season. The second-year Hoosiers head coach explained he had never seen a player that prepares as intensely as Mendoza does. However, for all the success that preparation led to, Thursday's Rose Bowl was different. The Hoosiers' season was on the line. Mendoza's career in the Cream and Crimson likely was, too.
So, during Rose Bowl Media Day on Tuesday, Cignetti stressed the importance of Mendoza having a "sharp edge" throughout his 26-day preparation for the Crimson Tide. Cignetti didn't want his signal caller to act as a hero and place a different level of importance on the Rose Bowl, but Mendoza needed to be "on point."
On the Hoosiers' maiden offensive possession, their offensive line allowed the Crimson Tide's pass rush to sack Mendoza on the first two pass plays.
Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack constructed what Indiana offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan described as a couple of "little bit new looks” schematically for Mendoza. Naturally, the signal caller and the Hoosiers' offense struggled during their three-and-out.
After all, the Cream and Crimson were coming off the vaunted extended bye that none of the previous six teams had conquered through the two years of the 12-team CFP.
The Hoosiers forced the Crimson Tide into a punt before piecing together a 16-play, 84-yard drive that resulted in a field goal to gain a 3-0 lead three seconds into the second quarter. From that point on, Indiana didn't look back.
"Once we got our feet wet, once we got the ball rolling, we're able to hit it in stride and able to put plays together, put first downs together," Mendoza said during his postgame interview with ESPN, "and then put points on the board."
Mendoza found sophomore receiver Charlie Becker and redshirt junior receiver Omar Cooper Jr. for touchdowns later in the second quarter, giving the Hoosiers a 17-0 advantage at halftime. The Crimson Tide previously faced the same deficit — and won — in the first round against the University of Oklahoma nearly two weeks prior.
With Indiana seeking to continue its dominance in the second half and prevent another Alabama comeback, Mendoza delivered what the Hoosiers needed. Not only did he pick up crucial first downs with his scrambling ability, but his connection with pass catchers also improved.
Mendoza tossed a 24-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Elijah Sarratt to extend Indiana's advantage to 24 points nearly halfway through the third quarter. The Hoosiers tacked on a pair of rushing touchdowns, giving the Crimson Tide their worst postseason loss in history.
"He was on point," Shanahan said of Mendoza. "He was dialed in ... He saw the coverages. He was disciplined, checked the ball down a couple times and let guys run after the catch."
Mendoza finished 14 for 16 for 192 yards and three touchdowns. He exited the contest late in the fourth quarter and in went his brother, redshirt freshman quarterback Alberto Mendoza, because of the Hoosiers' enormous lead — just like he had several times in the regular season.
The Cream and Crimson's dismantling of yet another squad further exemplified the historic turnaround. However, winning the Rose Bowl was just the first step in proving the Heisman Trophy is a "team award," as Mendoza has described it.
“The only reason I won the Heisman," he said, “is because I am one out of 22 players (starters) on the Indiana football team."
Now, the Hoosiers are one step closer to attaining the ultimate team award: the national championship. It's the trophy Indiana had in the back of its minds throughout spring practice, summer training and fall camp. It's the trophy that motivated Sarratt to lead the Hoosiers through an extra "championship rep" during every drill in their offseason practices.
“I'm very confident the way the team is playing,” Mendoza said. “It's not just myself, I think our entire team and our coaching staff really enjoy football, and I think that's why we work so hard at it. We work really hard every single day because not only do we enjoy football, we also enjoy winning. And we know what that takes."
Mendoza, who hails from Cuban heritage, compared Indiana to "arroz con pollo." Like chicken and rice combine to make a staple of Latin American cuisine, Indiana's offense, defense and special teams form the nation's top-ranked college football team.
And while several Hoosiers placed roses in their mouths after the victory, perhaps the Cream and Crimson have no better stem and no more flawless rose than Mendoza.
"He's been playing like that all year long," Shanahan said. "Today (the Rose Bowl) was really no different.”
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
