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Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti’s no brainer reaction to Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman case
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- Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti’s no brainer reaction to Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman case
The post Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti's no brainer reaction to Fernando Mendoza's Heisman case appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti didn't hold back when discussing his star field general Fernando Mendoza's Heisman Trophy chances following No. 2 Indiana's 13-10 victory over Ryan Day's No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship Game.
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The win at Lucas Oil Stadium not only secured the Hoosiers' first outright Big Ten title since 1945 but also kept their undefeated season alive and solidified Mendoza's case as one of the sport's most impactful players .
Cignetti joined a post-game show at FOX shortly after the program-defining win. When asked directly about whether the quarterback should win the most prestigious award in college football, Cignetti delivered one of his most candid answers of the season. The head coach made it clear how strongly he believes in his quarterback's resume.
"I don't vote for the Heisman. It's a great award, I know, like if somebody had a gun to my head and said, got to vote right. Okay. You're catching this bullet. I think it's pretty much a no brainer," Cignetti said, via FOX CFB.
Indiana's defense frustrated the Buckeyes in the championship game, however, the junior signal-caller Mendoza delivered the biggest throw of his college career . With Indiana clinging to a 13-10 lead and facing a critical third-and-6 with 2:40 remaining, Mendoza stayed calm, dropped back, and ripped a 30-yard strike to Charlie Becker.
Becker elevated for a 33-yard completion that flipped field position, drained the clock, and left Ohio State with no timeouts and little hope. By the time the Buckeyes got the ball again, only 13 seconds remained, nowhere near enough to mount a comeback.
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That sequence became the centerpiece of Indiana's championship moment and the backbone of Mendoza's Heisman narrative. Mendoza entered the night completing 72% of his passes with 32 touchdowns and only five interceptions, per ESPN.
He added 222 yards, a touchdown, and one pick against the Buckeyes, not a statistical explosion, but a performance defined by poise under pressure and the one rare throw the quarterback had made against the defending champions Ohio State — the game-winner.
For an undefeated team now positioned to claim the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, Mendoza's Heisman case may be stronger than ever . And if he continues delivering in the postseason the way he did on Saturday night, Indiana's magical run may be far from finished.
Related: Michigan fan hilariously catches Ohio State-Indiana Big Ten Championship game
Related: Tony Elliott explains costly double-pass call that ended Virginia's season
