MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Fernando Mendoza powered his way into the end zone as Indiana muscled its way into college football history on Monday night. The Hoosiers defeated Miami 27–21, completing an extraordinary journey that included an undefeated season and a national championship Miami vs Indiana.
Although the Heisman Trophy winner threw for 186 yards, the moment that defined both the game and Indiana’s season came on a dramatic 12-yard touchdown run. On fourth-and-4 with just over nine minutes remaining, Mendoza broke multiple tackles and dove across the goal line, refusing to let his team fall short Miami vs Indiana.
Indiana’s resolve was unshakable.
“I had to leave my feet,” Mendoza said after the game, despite suffering a split lip and a bloodied arm from Miami’s relentless defense, which sacked him three times and hit him repeatedly. “I’d give everything for this team.” Miami vs Indiana
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That score put Indiana ahead 24–14, giving Curt Cignetti’s team enough breathing room to hold off a late surge from Miami, which found momentum in the second half. behind Mark Fletcher, who rushed for 112 yards and scored twice, but they were never able to reclaim the lead Miami vs Indiana.
The College Football Playoff trophy is now headed to Bloomington, Indiana — an almost unimaginable destination for a program that endured a nation-high 713 losses over more than 130 years before Cignetti arrived two seasons ago to spark a historic turnaround.
We captured a national championship while at Indiana University. It proves that it can be done.”
Miami vs Indiana finished the season 16–0, taking advantage of the expanded 12-team playoff format to match a perfect win total last achieved by Yale in 1894. Adding to the symmetry, the undefeated football title comes exactly 50 years after Bob Knight led Indiana’s basketball team to a flawless 32–0 championship season.
Such dominance is rare, and some believe college football — now shaped heavily by money and constant change — may never see another team quite like this.
“Congratulations to Indiana,” President Donald Trump said while attending the game.
Both teams demonstrated their talent and strong competitiveness throughout the game.
Players like Mendoza, a Cal transfer who grew up just miles from Miami’s campus, are also uncommon. His composure under pressure stood out after Cignetti took two bold fourth-down risks late in the Miami vs Indiana game, following Fletcher’s second touchdown that cut Miami’s deficit to three points.
The first gamble paid off with a 19-yard back-shoulder completion to Charlie Becker. A few plays later came the defining call. Initially setting up for a field goal on fourth-and-4 from the 12-yard line, Cignetti called a timeout and instead designed a quarterback draw, anticipating Miami’s defensive alignment.
“We took a chance,” Cignetti explained. “The look we expected was there. The blocking held, he broke tackles, and he finished it.”
Not known for his rushing ability, Mendoza slipped one defender, absorbed contact, spun free, stayed upright, and then launched himself forward, extending the ball across the goal line — a moment destined for highlight reels and championship lore.
Perhaps it belongs in a movie titled Hoosiers. This is, after all, the same program once so downtrodden that a coach paused a game to photograph the scoreboard when Indiana briefly led Ohio State 7–6 — before losing 47–7.
This season told a very different story. Indiana defeated Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship to earn the top playoff seed. They dominated their first two postseason games by a combined 94–25 margin, with Mendoza throwing eight touchdowns and only five incompletions.
The title game, however, was far from easy.
Fletcher was Miami’s driving force, surpassing 100 rushing yards for the third time in four playoff games and injecting life into an otherwise stagnant offense. His 57-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter cut Indiana’s lead to 10–7.
Later, after Miami forced a punt deep in its own territory, Indiana lineman Mikail Kamara broke through protection and blocked the kick. Isaiah Jones recovered the ball, extending the lead to 17–7 and keeping Miami in chase mode for the remainder of the Miami vs Indiana game.
The Hurricanes made it close, advancing into Indiana territory late, but Carson Beck’s final deep pass was intercepted by Jamari Sharpe — a Miami native who ensured that the season’s only miracle belonged to Miami vs Indiana.
“Did I think this was possible?” Cignetti said. “Probably not. But if you stay focused and keep working, anything can happen.”