MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — As top-ranked Indiana stepped onto Hard Rock Stadium on Monday night, vying for the school’s inaugural national title in the home territory of No. 10 Miami, the Hoosiers carried the steadfast belief of head coach Curt Cignetti and the weight of a program marked by a tumultuous history as one of college football’s underperformers.
To grasp the significance of Indiana’s stunning 16-0 season, highlighted by a tough 27-21 victory over Miami before a crowd of 67,227, largely adorned in cream and crimson, one must delve into its past. Over the years, Indiana has suffered 715 losses, ranking second in FBS history, just behind Northwestern.
yet, with a thrilling triumph in the College Football Playoff National Championship—a nail-biter that kept fans on the edge of their seats—the Hoosiers emerged as the nation’s top team, completing a remarkable two-year turnaround. Debates will surely ensue about this Indiana team’s place among football’s elite—possibly alongside the legendary 2001 Miami Hurricanes—but it’s undeniable that no team has achieved such a feat with a roster filled with largely uncelebrated recruits.
“Are there eight first-round draft choices on this team? Probably not, no, there aren’t,” Cignetti remarked post-victory. “But this team, the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.”
Included in that collective success is Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, who fought his way 12 yards into the end zone on a crucial fourth-and-4 play with 9:18 left in the game, securing a 24-14 advantage for the Hoosiers.
“At that moment, I took the drop,” Mendoza explained, having completed 16 of 27 passes for 186 yards without throwing any touchdowns. “The coverage wasn’t perfect, but I trust my linemen and my entire offense. We all laid everything on the line today, so it was the least I could do for my brothers.”
The last player to capture both the Heisman Trophy and a national championship in the same season was Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith in 2020. Nevertheless, Indiana’s impressive 12-play, 75-yard drive concluded with a stunning fourth-down touchdown run by a Hoosier from Miami who had never been recruited by the Hurricanes.
Mendoza was far from alone, however. Indiana’s national championship squad featured eight 4- or 5-star recruits, while Miami claimed a remarkable 45 such players from high school. For four quarters, they stood toe-to-toe on the grandest stage of the sport, a clash of two teams that had long been seen as outsiders—let alone contenders for the title.
Cignetti now boasts an FBS-best record of 27-2 over the last two seasons after Indiana had previously gone 9-27 in its final three seasons prior to his arrival. He has guided the Hoosiers to their first two 10-win seasons in the program’s history. Indiana is now alongside the 1894 Yale team as one of only two in major college football history to finish an undefeated season at 16-0—a feat Cignetti stated “many believed was impossible.”
“It probably is one of the greatest sports stories of all time,” he acknowledged, “but it’s all thanks to these players and the coaching staff.”
In such a tightly contested matchup, the Hoosiers required more than another Heisman moment from Mendoza to seal the victory. With just 44 seconds remaining, Miami quarterback Carson Beck was intercepted by Jamari Sharpe, thwarting the Canes’ final effort to rally.
“That was the right read,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal commented. “It just needed to be a little further and a bit more outside. We didn’t connect on it, and that turned into a turnover.”
With 5:04 left in the third quarter, Indiana’s Mikail Kamara blocked a punt with his left hand, leading to linebacker Isaiah Jones recovering for a touchdown in the end zone, pushing the Hoosiers ahead 17-7. This marked the first blocked punt resulting in a touchdown during the CFP era, as Beck could only react with disbelief, placing both hands on his helmet.
“To accomplish something as crazy as this is a story waiting to be written,” Kamara said. “Experiencing this in real life with these teammates I cherish is simply incredible.”
Indiana maintained the lead throughout—but not without faltering at moments, as they had all season long. The Hoosiers entered the championship having outscored opponents by 473 points this season—the highest margin alongside 2019 Clemson entering a national title game in CFP history.
With 6:37 left, Miami narrowed the margin to 24-21 after an eight-play, 91-yard drive capped by a 22-yard touchdown pass from Beck to Malachi Toney. The Canes were perpetually within striking distance, yet they never took the lead—nor could they sufficiently halt the Hoosiers’ explosive plays.
A 57-yard touchdown run from Fletcher with 11:06 left in the third quarter brought Miami within 10-7. The Canes, who had weathered six lead changes in their Fiesta Bowl win against Ole Miss, required only two plays and 47 seconds to score, while the Hoosiers stumbled on their subsequent possession.
Miami (13-3), striving for its sixth national title and its first since 2001, found itself as the visiting team in its home stadium due to Indiana securing the higher seed. Just as during their playoff run, Hoosier supporters filled the stands, occupying approximately 60% of the seats.
As Mendoza sat on the bench after a 12-play drive that led to a 34-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead, he pressed a white towel against a bleeding lip, having been struck hard from his blind side earlier in the drive as Miami’s defense showed early aggression.
Cignetti expressed frustration with the officiating during that drive, asserting there should have been two roughing-the-quarterback penalties and a high-hit penalty that went uncalled.
“I support letting them play,” he stated, “but once they cross the line, it must be addressed.”
Yet, one pivotal call significantly altered the game’s trajectory early on.
Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr., ranked No. 13 on Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest Big Board, made a crucial error by jumping offside on a third-and-13 situation at midfield during the second quarter. The following play saw Kaelon Black burst through the middle for a 20-yard gain and a first down at the Miami 23-yard line.
Penalties have plagued Miami throughout the season, averaging seven accepted against them per game, placing them at 104th in the FBS.
With 6:13 remaining in the first half, Indiana found itself on Miami’s 1-yard line. Mendoza handed off the ball to Riley Nowakowski, an often-overlooked tight end who epitomized Indiana’s roster. Nowakowski, a former walk-on at Wisconsin with a fullback’s mindset, powered through for a touchdown, extending the lead to 10-0.
This touchdown contributed to the Hoosiers’ astonishing total of 198 points in the second quarter this season—the highest of any FBS team in any quarter. While Mendoza received the spotlight, the defense equally shined in the first half, limiting Miami to just 69 yards, the least allowed by a team in the first half of a CFP championship.
Meanwhile, Miami’s offense struggled at times to gain even a yard. The Canes’ offensive line, averaging about 53 pounds heavier per player, was outperformed, leading to Beck’s visible frustration until Miami finally converted on a fourth-and-1. Their most potent first-half drive ended in a missed 50-yard field goal attempt, striking the right upright.
“They’re experienced and older,” Cristobal said. “They know how to leverage the ball and communicate effectively. They certainly executed a solid first half against us. Credit to them. In the second half, we began generating more yards and points but credit to them for making a crucial play at the end. They’re exceptionally well-coached and possess high-caliber players. Sometimes, we forget the importance of player development. They’ve developed well at James Madison and here, and they deserved to win.”
Indiana’s victory also served as a triumph for the Big Ten, marking the first time since 1940-42 (with Minnesota in ’40, ’41, and Ohio State in ’42) that the Big Ten secured three consecutive national titles (only AP and Coaches Poll titles).
“I acknowledge that Indiana’s football history has been quite rocky, with only a few bright years,” Cignetti reflected. “This was due to a lack of emphasis on football, plain and simple. It’s a basketball school. Coach [Bob] Knight had extraordinary teams. There’s a clear focus on football now. We have a president from the South who loves football. Our athletic director is an outstanding fundraiser and people person. Our alumni base is the largest in the country, and they are fully invested.
“There’s a lot of momentum behind us.”
