
On Monday night, Fernando Mendoza led Indiana to their first national championship by defeating Miami 27–21 to cap off the Hoosiers’ perfect season.
Mendoza completed 16 of 27 passes for 186 yards while converting key fourth downs to lead Indiana to victory—with none bigger than his 12-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-5 in the fourth quarter. Mendoza was named Offensive Player of the Game, adding the cherry on top to an undefeated campaign that also saw him win the Heisman trophy.