5 Heisman moments defining Fernando Mendoza's candidacy in historic Indiana season
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NEW YORK — Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti had a good feeling that quarterback Fernando Mendoza would be headed to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist long before the announcement was made.
He had the best view in the house of Mendoza building a Heisman-worthy résumé throughout the fall.
“None of us are surprised that Fernando is a finalist,” Cignetti said during a virtual news conference on Wednesday.
Mendoza put up standout numbers — he led the FBS in passing touchdowns (33) and total touchdowns (39) — but what has made him a heavy favorite for the award is his performance in pressure-filled moments.
“I think there are unknowns entering every season, particularly with new guys, what I would say about Fernando is what stands out to me, is the way he performs with the game on the line, the plays he makes,” Cignetti said. “That’s when he seems to lock in and play his best ball.”
That’s why Indiana heads into the College Football Playoff with the No. 1 overall seed and won the program’s first Big Ten title since 1967.
If Mendoza’s name is called on Saturday night, these are the moments that will have paved the way for him to become IU’s first Heisman winner.
Fernando Mendoza silences IU football’s final doubters in win over Illinois
Mendoza silenced all that talk about Illinois being the “next Indiana” in impressive fashion. He led IU to a 63-10 win — the program’s first victory over a top 10 opponent at Memorial Stadium since 1967 — by throwing for 267 yards (21 of 23) and five touchdowns without playing a single snap in the fourth quarter.
He threw touchdowns to four different targets and had four completions of 20-yards or more with all those coming in the first half.
Mendoza’s biggest point of pride was IU adding to the lead coming out of halftime with a pair of faultless scoring drives. He didn’t throw an incompletion during that stretch to vanquish memories from his time at Cal of Miami erasing an identical 25-point deficit.
Indiana overcomes blitz-happy Hawkeyes in thrilling finish at Kinnick Stadium
Mendoza had a Heisman-worthy moment for his teammates and a separate one for the voters in a 20-15 win over Iowa.
The one that resonated in IU’s locker room came when he put his body on the line to convert a third-and-15 in the third quarter of a close game. He was on the receiving end of a violent hit from safety Xavier Nwankpa that he could have avoided by stepping out of bounds short of the first-down marker.
“He's a tough SOB, I'll tell you that much,” Indiana starting center Pat Coogan said. “Like, the kid just shows up, like he just, he's a tough SOB.”
The lasting image for Heisman voters was Mendoza’s game-winning touchdown on a 49-yard catch-and-run to Elijah Sarratt. He hit Sarratt with a laser on a slant across the middle in the face of an all-out blitz from Iowa.
The Hawkeyes forced a turnover earlier in the game with the same play call.
“I've been in a lot of those heartbreaking losses,” Mendoza said of his time at Cal. “It's great to have such a resilience, and have such an offense that's so resilient that doesn't give up whatever, no matter the situation, and to really just push through to the end.”
Fernando Mendoza helps end Oregon’s dominance at Autzen Stadium
Mendoza didn’t allow the pick-six he threw in the fourth quarter trip up the Hoosiers.
He orchestrated a 12-play, 75-yard drive on IU’s ensuing possession that culminated with him throwing a textbook back-shoulder throw to Sarratt for the go-ahead score. The offense converted three third down attempts and overcame multiple penalties while marching down the field to topple Oregon’s 18-game win streak at Autzen Stadium that dated back to 2022.
Mendoza credited his teammates for putting his mind at ease after the turnover — linebacker Aiden Fisher ran up to him on the sidelines with words of encouragement — and the lack of panic on the sidelines gave everyone the confidence they needed to finish out the game.
The win was the first time Mendoza felt like he might be able to make it all the way to New York.
“It was a story,” Mendoza said Friday. “It was drama."
Fernando Mendoza leads Hoosiers to dramatic first win in State College
Penn State rattled Mendoza by getting consistent pressure on the quarterback. He described his overall performance as “sloppy” and his fourth quarter interception was a perfect example of that.
Indiana was on the ropes down the stretch with Mendoza reverting back to the bad habits he picked up at Cal until he pulled a 22-yard completion to Omar Cooper Jr. on IU’s final drive that snapped everything back into focus.
He followed that up with a series of completions to get inside the 10-yard line, including a perfectly placed ball between a pair of defenders to tight end Riley Nowakowski for a 29-yard gain and high point pass to Charlie Becker at the sideline.
Mendoza created one of the most indelible images in program history with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Cooper in the back of the end zone. The receiver defied gravity with the way he was able to get his toe in-bounds.
It was a heck of a throw as well with Mendoza leaving his feet in order to ensure the pass attempt cleared the defenders who were in his face to help the Hoosiers lock up their first win at Beaver Stadium.
Fernando Mendoza brings ‘heart of a champion' to Lucas Oil Stadium
Mendoza went from getting hit by a “freight train” to winning MVP honors in the Big Ten title game.
On the opening snap, Mendoza was on the receiving end of a vicious hit from Caden Curry that knocked the wind out of him. His first thought while laying facedown on the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium was to move his limbs so fans knew he wasn’t dealing with a more significant injury.
The trainers quickly cleared him to return to the game and he only missed one snap.
Mendoza became just the second quarterback this season to throw for more than 200 yards against Ohio State's defense — he had 222 passing yards (15 of 23) with a touchdown and interception — and his clutch throws allowed Indiana to pull off the upset win.
He completed a 51-yarder to Charlie Becker at the start of the third quarter to set up a 17-yard touchdown throw to Elijah Sarratt. It was only the third play of 50-plus yards OSU gave up in 2025 and just the 10th touchdown the defense allowed.
Mendoza gave Heisman voters one more moment when he hit Becker for a 33-yard gain to convert a third down and help IU football run out most of the clock.
“It’s pretty much a no brainer,” Cignetti said of Mendoza’s Heisman chances right after the game.
Mendoza will find out if the voters agreed on Saturday night.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Fernando Mendoza Heisman moments in Indiana football season
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