Opponent: Miami Hurricanes
Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, FL
Why They Played:
The Hoosiers and Hurricanes played for the College Football National Championship.
What The Game Meant:
Everything.
Heartwork Brewing Players of the Game
Offense
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana– Mendoza was an absolute warrior on Monday night as he took dirty hit after dirty hit. He was bloodied and beaten, but not defeated. He ran IU’s RPO game well as he completed 16-of-27 passes for 186 yards and did not throw an interception. Mendoza’s Heisman Moment came on a fourth-and-five run from the 12 that will be etched into eternity in IU sports lore.
Charlie Becker WR, Indiana- As Becker has done most of the second half of the season, he made big catch after big catch on money downs. He finished four catches for 65 yards.
Mark Fletcher, RB, Miami- Fletcher nearly won the game for Miami with a huge second half as he ripped off a 57-yard touchdown run and added a second from three yards out. He ran 17 times for 122 yards and two scores.
Defense
D’Angelo Ponds, DB, Indiana- Ponds was terrific again. He broke up three passes and made five tackles.
Jamari Sharpe, DB, Indiana- Sharpe came up with the biggest defensive play of the game as he intercepted Carson Beck’s pass with 44 seconds left. He also had a great rest of the game as well. Sharpe finished with six tackles, an interception and a pass break up.
Ruban Bain, DE, Miami- This guy is a monster and IU had trouble containing him all night. Bain made eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
Indiana Special Teams Performance
Special teams played a huge role in this game and again it was the plays that IU made and the ones that Miami did not that decided the outcome. The Hoosiers went 2-2 on field goals and blocked a punt that was recovered for a touchdown, while Miami had multiple penalties that wiped out good field position and a missed field goal late in the second quarter.
Mitch McCarthy had a good night punting, averaging 48.2 yards per punt and pinning Miami inside the 20-yard line twice on five punts. Nico Radicic scored nine points and was perfect and the kickoff combination of Brendan Franke and Quinn Warren kept the return game at bay.
Key Stat(s)
4 to 1
Indiana was 4-4 in the red zone scoring two touchdowns and two field goals while the Hurricanes only entered IU’s red zone once.
Turning Point
The two biggest turning points of the game came in the second half. The first one came with IU holding on to a 10-7 lead when Mikail Kamara blocked a Miami punt, in punt safe, and Isaiah Jones recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown to extend IU’s lead to 17-7.
The second came on Fernando Mendoza’s unbelievable run on fourth-and-five where he ran over a linebacker and spun off another tackler before diving into the end zone for a touchdown to make the score 24-14. His Heisman Moment came after winning the trophy.
I Knew it Was Over When…
Jamari Sharpe intercepted a Carson Beck pass with 44 seconds left.
What I take away From the Game
This is the greatest story in college football history. Indiana went from being the losingest program in FBS history to the first team since 1894 to go 16-0. I would say it is unbelievable, but if you are around the program enough it is very believable that this team could win it all. This was a very special team and the right pieces were brought in to help finish the puzzle that was started last season when IU went 11-2. The foundation built by players like Mike Katic, Kurtis Rourke, James Carpenter and Jaylin Walker was completed with additions like Pat Coogan and Fernando Mendoza to the returning group of Aiden Fisher, Elijah Sarratt and Mikail Kamara.
All year we, and I’ll say we because it’s not only the team but the fans and writers too, heard that this team couldn’t do it. They lost Rourke, the schedule was harder, Alabama figured it out, it’s too hard to beat Oregon twice, the U is back…all the people who have not been in and around the program doubted IU and still had a little disrespect after the game. The CFP introduced Fernando Mendoza as Alberto. I believe Paul Finebaum was busy looking at housing outside the United States. But the disrespect was and is real.
That’s it for my negative thoughts, the win means so much to so many people. This season has been an incredible journey and to be able to share it with Don Fischer, Buck Suhr and John Herrick made it all the more special. To get the embrace on the field from my wife after dragging to an ungodly amount of miserable football games was as good as it gets as well. Then there was the hug from Matt Weaver of Peegs, who has been covering the team the longest of any on the beat and a frequent road trip buddy (the number of times we road back from games with steam coming out of our ears is high). The nod and fist bump from Zach Osterman who has been on the beat over a decade. It’s for the former beat writers like Terry Hutchens and Ed Magoni who passed away all too early. I know there is no “rooting” in the press box, but when you put the effort and time into the program it means something to finally reach the pinnacle.
I started this site as a football only site because I wanted to cover the team how I wanted it covered as a fan. I came to IU from New York City in 2005 (started following in 2002), so I missed decades of misery, but I did my time. This one is for all of our writers. For TJ who has spent years doing football therapy with me, to Alex and Nate who have been with us since 2015 and 2016. It’s for the former dorm mates who reached out after the win to say “you believed when no one else would”. Enjoy it, because there needs to be more joy in the world.
What’s Next
Enjoy it! Cherish it. We will keep you updated on staff changes and the portal.