UPDATE: STORY EDITED TO GIVE INTERVIEW CREDIT 2/20/26
The 1st seed Indiana and the 10th seed Miami faced off in the College Football National Championship. Indiana entered the game with a perfect 15-0 record, while Miami came in at 13-2. Indiana was the favorite for this game, favored by 7.5 points. In the first quarter, it was a back-and-forth battle with no scoring until the last three minutes of the quarter, when Indiana kicked a field goal.
In the second quarter, Indiana’s running back, Kaelon Black, had a 20-yard run down the middle, which got them to Miami’s 23-yard line. Two plays later, Indiana’s quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, threw a short pass to tight end Charlie Becker, gaining 15 yards and putting them at Miami’s 5-yard line. Kaelon Black then ran up the middle three times for short yards, eventually powering through for a touchdown, giving Indiana a 10-point lead.
Indiana kicked off to Miami for a touchback, putting Miami at the 25-yard line. Miami struggled with its run game, only managing 10 yards in 4 runs. However, Miami’s quarterback Carson Beck delivered a 25-yard pass to wide receiver CJ Daniels, moving them to the 40-yard line. Indiana’s defense held Miami to 4th down, and Miami opted to attempt a 50-yard field goal to get points on the board before halftime, but the kick hit the right upright, leaving them scoreless at the break.
After halftime, Indiana received the ball but was quickly stuffed by Miami’s defense, managing only -1 yard. Indiana punted to Miami, and on the second play of Miami’s drive, running back Mark Fletcher broke loose for a 57-yard touchdown, making the score 10-7 in favor of Indiana.
The next few drives were uneventful until 5:04 left in the third quarter, when Miami had to punt from its own 16-yard line. Indiana’s defensive end Mikail Kamara blocked the punt, and it was recovered by linebacker Isaiah Jones for a touchdown, increasing Indiana’s lead to 17-7.
In the fourth quarter, Miami finally started to put points on the board. They drove 81 yards in 10 plays, capped off by a touchdown. Indiana responded with a touchdown of their own, getting to the 12-yard line on 4th and 2 and keeping the ball. Mendoza, showing why he was the Heisman winner, ran and dived into contact for the touchdown, making it 24-14 in favor of Indiana.
Miami wasn’t done yet. They marched down the field in 8 plays, covering 91 yards for a touchdown. Carson Beck and wide receiver Malachi Toney were on fire during this drive. Toney made a crucial 41-yard catch to move them into enemy territory, and then caught a 22-yard touchdown pass, narrowing the score to 24-21, Indiana.
But Indiana answered with a field goal, extending their lead. Miami made one last push, moving into Indiana territory at the 41-yard line, but Carson Beck misread the defense. He threw an interception, which was picked off by Jamari Sharpe with 44 seconds left in the game, sealing the victory for Indiana. The final score was 27-21 in favor of Indiana.
Indiana won the College Football National Championship with a perfect 16-0 record, securing their first-ever National Championship in program history. After the game, in an interview with Fernando Mendoza, Indiana’s quarterback and Heisman winner, he had this to say about his team:
(Interview From ESPN.com)
The man who took the gamble on Mendoza’s 4th-and-2 run was Curt Cignetti, the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers. Cignetti helped turn this team around, going from not being close to the playoffs to making them a top-10 team in just his first two years. Known for his stoic demeanor, Cignetti showed some emotion when Mendoza scored the touchdown. When asked about it, he explained:
“The coverage before they were in was the coverage for that play to work. We put it in for this game. It was a quarterback draw, but it was blocked differently. We rolled the dice, we blocked it well, and he broke a tackle or two and got into the end zone.” (Interview From ESPN.com)
Luke Jakobson, a fan of Indiana, talked about Fernando Mendoza’s grit and leadership. He said, “My favorite play was when Fernando Mendoza dove into the end zone on 4th and 2, helping Indiana secure the National Championship.” He also discussed why Mendoza was the MVP of the game, saying, “Fernando was the clear MVP because he took on the role of a leader and carried the team to victory.”
