Indiana Football Wins National Championship as Fernando Mendoza Seals Historic Title Run

Fernando Mendoza delivered the defining moment of Indiana football history on Monday night, powering the Hoosiers to a 27 to 21 victory over Miami and completing an undefeated season with a College Football Playoff National Championship in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Indiana finished 16 and 0, capturing the first national title in program history and closing one of the most improbable championship runs college football has ever seen. Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner and former Cal transfer, sealed the outcome with a 12 yard quarterback draw on fourth and 4 midway through the fourth quarter, lowering his shoulder through contact and extending the ball across the goal line.

The touchdown gave Indiana a 24 to 14 lead and proved to be the difference as the Hoosiers held off a late Miami push. Mendoza completed the night with 186 passing yards while absorbing heavy pressure from a Hurricanes defense that recorded 3 sacks and consistently forced him into contact throughout the game. He played through visible injuries, including a split lip and a bloodied arm, while maintaining control of the offense.

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti completed a rapid program transformation in just his second season. When he arrived, Indiana owned the most losses in major college football history. Under his leadership, the Hoosiers navigated the expanded 12 team College Football Playoff and defeated higher seeded opponents to reach the championship game. His fourth quarter decision making proved decisive, pulling the field goal unit late and opting instead for the quarterback run that produced the title clinching score.

Miami validated its playoff selection with a physical and resilient performance. Running back Mark Fletcher rushed for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a 57 yard run early in the third quarter that ignited the Hurricanes comeback after a slow first half. Miami also generated momentum through a blocked punt recovered in the end zone by Isaiah Jones, briefly narrowing the gap and forcing Indiana to respond under pressure.

The Hurricanes pushed into Indiana territory in the final moments before quarterback Carson Beck’s desperation throw was intercepted by Jamari Sharpe, a Miami native, to officially end the comeback attempt. Miami finished the season as one of the final teams into the playoff field and emerged with credibility after pushing the eventual champions to the final snap.

Indiana’s perfect season marked the first 16 win undefeated campaign in modern college football, matching a win total last achieved by Yale in 1894. The championship also arrived 50 years after Indiana basketball’s undefeated national title under Bob Knight, creating rare symmetry across the university’s athletic history.

Mendoza’s performance further strengthened his projection as a top selection in the upcoming NFL Draft, with evaluators citing his toughness, poise, and ability to deliver in high leverage moments. Indiana now returns to Bloomington as national champions facing expected NFL departures and roster movement, while Miami exits the season positioned as a legitimate playoff contender entering next year.

In an era defined by expanded playoffs, transfer movement, and NIL resources, Indiana’s rise from a historically struggling program to national champion stands as one of the most significant breakthroughs in the modern college football landscape.