Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza brimmed with confidence as his team took down former No. 3 Oregon and later earned the same ranking in the latest top-25 poll over the week.
Mendoza did his part as he went 20-13 for 215 yards and a touchdown against the Ducks fora 30-20 victory. Indiana came in No. 7 and unbeaten, but the season before in 2024 looked like a storybook campaign when the Hoosiers went 11-2 for the best record in school history.
“It shows the country that the IU football team is a real team, we’re not just a one-hit wonder,” Mendoza told reporters on Oct. 11.
Indiana achieved a No. 3 ranking for the first time ever as the Hoosiers beat their highest-ranked opponent ever. The Hoosiers are looking for more, less than a year after second-year head coach Curt Cignetti tried to convince the country that Indiana could be a national power.
“Last year, I was the way I was because I thought I needed to be taking over this program,” Cignetti told reporters on Oct. 11. “Kind of lead the charge the way I was out there a little bit. I knew that early on in December. I thought we established credibility last season. And I didn’t need to be that way, and I could focus on what I do best: coach this football team.”
Indiana Came Ready After So-So Schedule
Indiana’s 6-0 start consists of blowout wins over smaller schools, but the Hoosiers also blew out former No. 9-ranked Illinois 63-10 and held off upset-minded Iowa 20-15 in September. The Hoosiers expected to win on Oct. 11 in Eugene.
“The most important thing to me was our mindset going into this game,” Cignetti said. “That we believed, expected, prepared to make it happen, and could handle the ups and downs of the game without flinching, showing frustration and anxiety. “That was the only thing you don’t know until you play the game. We passed that test.”
Fernando Mendoza Bounces Back
That test included Mendoza bouncing back from a pick-six in the fourth quarter of the game. He led the Hoosiers back, 27-20, on the next possession when he connected with wideout Elijah Sarratt for an 8-yard touchdown pass that capped a 12-play, 75-yard drive.
“After I threw the pick-six, (linebacker Aiden Fisher) came up to me and said, ‘Hey, brother, I have your back, I believe in you,’” Mendoza said. “And to have a team captain say that and come up to me and say that, it inspires confidence in not just me, but the entire offense.”
Indiana’s defense finished the job with two interceptions against Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, who finished with 23-34 passing for 186 yards and a touchdown. Hoosiers defensive backs Isaiah Jones and Louis Moore made the picks.
“If you want to always play like the best you can be, you got to always play never too high, never too low,” Cignetti said, “not affected by success, not affected by failure.”
Indiana will look to keep going strong next against Michigan State (3-3) on Saturday. The Hoosiers have already followed up a big win once this season by beating the Hawkeyes.
“There’s a lot of football left to be played, a lot,” Cignetti said. “How are we going to respond to this game, and how is Oregon gonna respond to this game?”
Oregon, which fell to No. 8 in the polls, visits Rutgers next.
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