After helping No. 2 Indiana (10-0) avoid a blemish on its perfect record, Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza made a grand declaration on the significance of Saturday’s thrilling 27-24 win over Penn State.
“This, by far, is the best moment of my career,” Mendoza said before praising the Hoosiers’ brotherhood. “To see what we’ve all been through, the Iowa game, the Oregon game to now, the Penn State game, those are all games you have circled, especially being away, before the season …
“These are game-winning drives that you dream of growing up as a kid. So, I think this is the top [moment] of my career right now.”
For some, barely beating the now-unranked Nittany Lions (3-6) might be considered a knock on the Hoosiers’ magical year. But, as Mendoza noted, the program has hung on for some great wins this season, with the Week 11 victory being the most dramatic.
Mendoza bounced back from an interception and an empty four-play drive to orchestrate the game-winning series. Trailing 24-20 with 1:51 to play, the Hoosiers marched on a 10-play, 80-yard drive capped by Mendoza’s 7-yard pass to wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. for an unbelievable go-ahead score—coupled with a Gus Johnson call for the ages—with 36 seconds left in regulation.
The Hoosiers closed it out to secure their closest win of the season. Mendoza finished 19-of-30 for 218 yards, a touchdown, and an interception to go with six carries for 20 yards and a score.
Much like the wins over Oregon and Iowa, Indiana’s win over Penn State was yet another test of the team’s mettle. The Hoosiers scored 10 unanswered points over the final 12:41 to break a 20-20 tie with the Ducks, while another Mendoza game-winner on a 49-yard pass to Elijah Sarratt inched them past the Hawkeyes.
With two games left in the regular season, Mendoza and Indiana are zeroing in on the program’s first undefeated season since 1945. And, if they pull it off, Saturday’s win might not be the best moment of Mendoza’s career for much longer.
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