Fernando Mendoza bulldozed his way into the end zone and Indiana bullied its way into the history books Monday night.
The Hoosiers toppled Miami 27-21 to put the finishing touch on a rags-to-riches story, an undefeated season and the national title.
The Heisman Trophy winner finished with 186 yards passing, but it was his tackle-breaking, sprawled-out 12-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-4 with 9:18 left that defined this game.
Mendoza's TD gave turnaround artist Curt Cignetti's team a 10-point lead — barely enough breathing room to hold off a frenzied charge by the hard-hitting Hurricanes.
FERNANDO. MENDOZA.
— ESPN (@espn) January 20, 2026
THE PLAY OF A LIFETIME ‼️ pic.twitter.com/g3o5nNNslr
The 2025 Kings of College Football. pic.twitter.com/9hvxMEVMy8
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) January 20, 2026