Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza propelled his Indiana Hoosiers to National Championship glory on Monday but the victory came at a price for the quarterback.
The signal caller inspired the Hoosiers to their first-ever National Championship win with a late touchdown in a nerve-shredding 27-21 triumph over the Miami Hurricanes on Monday night.
With just over nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Mendoza ploughed his way into the endzone to lift Indiana to a 23-14 lead but the touchdown left its mark on the quarterback.
As he ran the ball into the endzone, Mendoza took multiple big hits from Miami’s defense before flinging himself over the line.
And following the game, ESPN’s Holly Rowe got Mendoza to display his battle scars to the camera.
Mendoza held up his forearms, showing red and purple bruises streaked down the limbs from where he had bulldozed his way through the Hurricanes’ defense.
Fernando Mendoza showed off his battle scars after lifting Indiana to victory on Monday
The quarterback flung himself into the endzone for a dramatic touchdown in the title game
‘Shoutout to Miami defense…it was going to be a physical game, we had to play physical and we did play physical. We elevated it and made the victory so sweet,’ he told Rowe when asked about the injuries.
In front of Tom Brady and Donald Trump, Mendoza cemented his status as the best quarterback in college football with an incredible piece of individual play to take the game away from the Hurricanes in the fourth quarter.
The projected No. 1 pick in this year’s NFL Draft and reigning Heisman Trophy winner bulldozed his way into the end zone from 12 yards on a dramatic fourth down.
Miami still had a chance to stage a dramatic comeback but quarterback Carson Beck threw an interception with 44 seconds left in the game, sparking wild scenes among Indiana’s players, coaches and fans.
Following the celebrations, as well as showing off his bruises, Mendoza also praised his teammates in another of his signature postgame interviews.
‘That’s one thing about our team,’ Mendoza also told Rowe after the game. ‘We’re always going to put it all on the line. I want to give all the glory and thanks to God. My offensive linemen blocked perfectly and we were able to execute as a team toward a common goal. Have the Indiana Hoosier synergy to score and to give our team a chance to win the game.
The signal caller inspired the Indiana Hoosiers to its first-ever National Championship win
Mendoza and his mom Elsa both broke down in tears when they embraced after the game
The Heisman Trophy winner bulldozed himself into the end zone for a remarkable touchdown
‘I had to go airborne. I’d die for my team. Whatever they need me to do. They need me to take shots in the front or the back, whatever it is, I’m gonna die for my team out there and I know they’re going to do the same for me. That’s what makes us so close. That’s what makes the national championship so special.’
The championship win was the crowning moment of a remarkable rise for Mendoza and the Hoosiers this season with Indiana becoming the first team in college football history to finish 16-0 since Yale did it in 1894.
After an undefeated regular season, Mendoza became the first Indiana Hoosier to ever win the Heisman. He also became the first Cuban-American to win the award.
Mendoza, who transferred to Indiana from Cal, won three other ‘Player of the Year’ awards in 2025: the Maxwell Award, the Walter Camp Award and the AP College Football Player of the Year award.
