Story by
Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza hits historic mark for the 5th time vs. Oregon
- Story by
- Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza hits historic mark for the 5th time vs. Oregon
Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza hits historic mark for the 5th time vs. Oregon appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
On Friday night, the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers crushed the No. 5 Oregon Ducks 56-22 in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Peach Bowl, punching their ticket to the program's first national championship game . Indiana, now 15-0, will face No. 10 Miami on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Advertisement
Momentum was all with the Hoosiers from the get-go, as Indiana cornerback D'Angelo Ponds intercepted Duck quarterback Dante Moore on the very first play from scrimmage, returning it 25 yards for a touchdown. That opening pick-six got the crowd roaring, which was at least 80% Hoosiers fans, and set the pace for a night full of opportunistic plays. Indiana capitalized on four Oregon turnovers and a blocked punt, turning short fields into touchdowns for quarterback Fernando Mendoza and his teammates.
Mendoza, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner , turned in another near-perfect outing, completing 17 of 20 passes for 177 yards and five touchdowns while adding 28 rushing yards. This was the fifth game this season in which Mendoza threw more touchdowns than incompletions , a feat no other quarterback has achieved more than twice since 2000. His previous performances include 19-for-20 passing with five touchdowns against Indiana State, 21-for-23 with five TDs against Illinois, 22-for-24 with four touchdowns versus Wisconsin, and a near-perfect 14-for-16 with three TDs in the Rose Bowl. In the CFP, Mendoza has now thrown eight touchdowns to just five incompletions across two games.
The Hoosiers' offense was balanced and efficient beyond Mendoza's passing. Running back Kaelon Black carried the ball 12 times for 63 yards and two scores, and Roman Hemby also contributed on the ground. Indiana averaged 4.6 yards per rush, a pronounced improvement over their 3.0 yards per carry in the regular-season meeting with the Ducks. Wide receivers Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. were primary targets, with Sarratt hauling in seven catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Charlie Becker and EJ Williams Jr. also caught touchdown passes, the seventh game of the season in which both Sarratt and Cooper Jr. found the end zone.
The defense was every bit as good as the offense. The Hoosiers sacked Moore three times and recorded ten tackles for loss, with Daniel Ndukwe leading the way with two sacks. Oregon, which had surrendered only 14 sacks all season, gave up nine in this contest. Indiana limited the Ducks to fewer than four yards per play in the first half and built a 35-7 halftime lead, putting the game out of reach.
Advertisement
With this victory, Mendoza is now in position to potentially become the fourth Heisman winner to win a national championship in the CFP era, and just the third to do so with an unbeaten record. The Hoosiers will now look to complete their perfect season against a Hurricanes team ranked No. 1 in the ACC in both total and scoring defense.
Related: LSU football trying to get key RB to withdraw from transfer portal
Related: Kansas State football's Collin Klein hires Missouri assistant as OC
