The Indiana Hoosiers held off a tough Miami team to capture the school’s first-ever national championship, beating the Hurricanes, 27-21, on Monday night.
With Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza and the passing game held relatively in check, the Hoosiers leaned on a good run game, sturdy defense and a blocked punt returned for a touchdown in the victory.
Here are three takeaways from the game, with an eye on the 2026 NFL Draft (April 23-25 in Pittsburgh):
1) Mendoza's toughness on display
After a pretty pedestrian first three quarters, Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza badly needed a drive to stave off a pesky Miami team that had just shaved the Hoosiers’ lead to 17-14 to start the fourth quarter. Mendoza converted two fourth downs on a 12-play, 75-yard TD drive, taking a QB draw 12 yards -- spinning and breaking four tackles -- to give Indiana a two-score lead and the quarterback his signature moment in IU’s first national championship.
Miami quickly struck back to cut Indiana’s lead to 24-21, with 6:37 remaining, and Mendoza still had work to do. He connected on two big third-down conversions milked some clock on the ensuing drive. The Hoosiers kicked a field goal, and DB Jamari Sharpe intercepted Miami’s Carson Beck to seal it.
Mendoza returned to his hometown, facing a Miami program that didn’t recruit him out of high school, in what was billed as a dream matchup, watched closely by long-suffering Hoosiers fans, as well as NFL teams. Some of them were even on hand for the big event, with Raiders owner Mark Davis, GM Jon Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady on the sidelines.
But Mendoza struggled to generate big pass plays most of the night, out-passed by Beck, 232 yards to 186, completing 16 of 27 passes. Mendoza had an efficient first half, but he was increasingly under fire as the game went on, sacked by the Hurricanes on three of his first five pass attempts of the second half. He also took a hit from DB Jakobe Thomas while carrying out a fake in the first quarter, which didn’t earn a penalty but did give Mendoza a bloody lip.
If you came expecting aerial fireworks, you might have been disappointed. This was far from a showcase passing performance from Mendoza. He was hit several times, forcing the Hoosiers to lean more on the run game and play field-position ball.
There were some drops and misfires alike, and Mendoza didn’t turn the ball over, although he was fortunate on a risky pass early in the fourth quarter that could have been picked and possibly run back for a touchdown while protecting a three-point lead.
But if you ignore the lack of artistry, Mendoza’s toughness and timeliness stood out. He has yet to announce his NFL intentions -- underclassmen who played in the title game have until Friday to do so -- but the body of work this season has been excellent, especially with the game on the line. That’s what happened on Monday: Mendoza saved his best for last, avoided big mistakes and led his team to a historic victory.
2) Bain, Mesidor made big impact
Early on, Miami’s offense was stuck in neutral, but the Hurricanes’ pass rush kept the team in the game. DEs Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor led a vibrant pass rush against a good Indiana offensive line, racking up three sacks early in the third quarter and shrinking Mendoza’s pocket most of the night.
Bain is well-known by college football fans as one of the better rushers in the sport, and he lived up to that billing on Monday. In the first half, he drew a holding penalty, knifed into the backfield to force a 6-yard loss on a wide run and gave fits to Indiana left tackle Carter Smith. Bain was guilty of an offsides on a third-and-long play, eventually leading to Indiana’s first touchdown. But he atoned with a big sack early in the third quarter, beating Smith and hitting Mendoza hard.
Whenever Bain considers the NFL, he’ll be an interesting evaluation, not fitting typical pro dimensions for a defensive end at 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds (per school measurements). With his quickness and tenacity, however, Bain also could project as a gap-shooting interior lineman in some situations. His physicality and finishing ability flashed on Monday.
Mesidor heated up as the game went on, pressuring Mendoza on his Hail Mary attempt at the end of the first half and notching two sacks. A Senior Bowl invitee, Mesidor is nearly as effective a defender as Bain and led the Canes in sacks this season. However, age (he’ll turn 25 before the draft) and his injury history could cloud his evaluation some.
The Miami duo was joined by other impactful defenders up front, including DT Ahmad Moten Sr. and LB Mohamed Toure, but the Hurricanes’ secondary had some issues when the pass rush didn’t get home. Still, it was a strong game by Miami’s defense, especially up front, holding a good Indiana offense to 317 yards.
3) Other standouts to note
There were plenty of NFL prospects on the field at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday. Some put their best foot forward. Others were less impressive.
Miami QB Carson Beck might once have been considered a possible first-round pick, but that kind of buzz is no longer attached to him. He led the Hurricanes to three playoff victories and warmed up as the game progressed on Monday, but Beck’s critical INT in the final minute ended Miami’s title hopes, forcing a pass into bracket coverage.
Beck has some NFL-caliber skills, and he’ll be an interesting study after some high-variance play over his college career. He could make a push for the middle rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft with a strong pre-draft process, if he can convince NFL teams he has the intangibles required to be a starting quarterback.
On the positive side in the loss, right tackle Francis Mauigoa was a standout for the Canes. He allowed one pressure and a tackle for loss, but he was otherwise stout in pass protection and a big driver for the Miami run game. He had big blocks on two long runs by Miami RB Mark Fletcher Jr. and another one on a sweep by freshman Malachi Toney. Mauigoa’s mass, strength and steadiness are all big pluses.
For Indiana, standouts on defense were LB Aiden Fisher, DE Mikail Kamara and CB D’Angelo Ponds.
The captain of the IU defense, Fisher had four tackles and a sack on a first-half blitz. He’s considered the heartbeat of the Hoosiers’ defense and could work his way into the latter parts of Day 2 of the draft. Kamara had the biggest play of the game with the blocked punt that was recovered for a touchdown, and he also flashed a few times, even in his reps against Mauigoa.
Ponds is very undersized, but he’s a spirited player with elite instincts and footwork. He was the author of the game-opening pick-six against Oregon in the playoff semifinal, too. He’s a good and willing tackler, which was on display on a few big run-support plays early in the game, and Ponds broke up a deep ball when Miami was trying to mount a comeback late.
Two Hoosiers who had tougher nights included WR Elijah Sarratt and OT Carter Smith. Sarratt couldn’t haul in two passes in the third quarter, including a bad drop, catching three passes for 28 yards on seven targets. Smith gave up a sack to Rueben Bain Jr. and was guilty of the late false start that helped keep it a one-score game and nearly cost IU in a big way. He’s a steady, respected player, but questions about his ability to play left tackle at the next level could endure.