Fresh off a 27-14 win over Old Dominion in game one of the season, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza walked into the weight room in street clothes. He uncomfortably weaved his way through dozens of media members and entered his first postgame media scrum as a Hoosier.
Mendoza spent most of his time praising his teammates and coaches, smiling ear to ear.
His smile slowly waned when talking about himself.
“I’m extremely honored and blessed to be Indiana’s quarterback, to have the opportunity to go out there and help lead us to victory,” Mendoza said with a straight face. “I would say of my own performance, not up to my standard…I left a lot out there.”
The disappointment was palpable.
Mendoza completed 18 of 31 passes for 193 yards and ran for a touchdown. Indiana tallied over 500 yards of offense, but scored only two touchdowns in seven redzone opportunities. It was enough to move the Hoosiers to 1-0.
His first impression on the field was not what he desired. He carried that with him.
It became clear: Mendoza wanted to lead his group to greatness. He wanted to show Indiana fans everything he was capable of. No missed reads. No missed throws. No bad decisions. Everything had to be perfect.
In the ensuing week, Indiana defeated Kennesaw State 56-9. Mendoza was 18-for-25 for 245 yards and four touchdowns in about three quarters of action. Indiana tallied nearly 600 yards of offense and scored touchdowns in seven of seven redzone opportunities. Indiana was 2-0.
In the postgame scrum, he revealed an honest truth.
“Against ODU, (I was) a little too excited,” Mendoza said. “(I) wanted to have a perfect debut and show Hoosier fans what I had. However, I just had to go back to the fundamentals.”
At a new school with new teammates, a new coach and a new scheme, some of the few things the Cal transfer could keep consistent were the principles of quarterbacking. He went back to the basics.
As a new Hoosier, it was only right for Mendoza to find his new role through an examination of basketball.
“I really just want to make sure to get (my teammates) the ball like a point guard,” Mendoza said. “They're fantastic athletes for a reason, you know? So, I’m just trying to be a point guard for our offense, pass them the ball and give all our great playmakers and offensive line a fantastic chance to win.”
He did not need to be the superhero that never messed up. He needed to be the quarterback that made Indiana the best it could be.
Indiana football now had its point guard; a director of traffic, a coachable player, a capable leader and a selfless individual on and off the field. All he needed to do was get the ball to the right spots and let his teammates do the rest. Simple.
Indiana’s final non-conference game was next on the schedule. It was a great opportunity for him to fine tune his newfound role against Indiana State.
In the first half of the 73-0 drubbing of the Sycamores, Mendoza completed 19 of 20 passes for 270 yards with five passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. The 95 percent completion rate marked a new school record.
In the second half, he cheered on and coached his little brother, Alberto, along with the rest of the younger players who seized the opportunity to get better. Mendoza never let his priorities stray from improving the greater good of the team.
Indiana tallied 680 yards of offense and scored touchdowns in 10 of 11 red zone opportunities. It was the largest shutout win in program history. The Hoosiers moved to 3-0.
After throwing zero touchdown passes in game one, Mendoza threw nine across the next two games in roughly five total quarters of play. He would lead the Big Ten in passing touchdowns at this point. Eyes started to open.
The growth continued. Being a point guard simplified the game. It made him more confident as a player and allowed him to shine.
“I just go through my reads and through my progressions,” Mendoza said. “And whatever the rules tell me to do is usually who I throw the ball to.”
The following week, Mendoza would have to put his rule-following tactics to the test in a situation with much higher implications. Indiana was set to begin its Big Ten slate with potentially the biggest home game in school history.
The No. 19 Hoosiers had No. 9 Illinois in town for a top-20 affair on national television. The two undefeated teams had College Football Playoff expectations that would become either more attainable or more difficult in the next 60 minutes of football.
Who do basketball coaches trust in their biggest games? Their point guard.
Who did Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti trust in his biggest game? His point guard.
In front of 56,088 in attendance and 2.5 million on NBC’s airwaves, Mendoza did it again. He completed 21 of 23 passes for 267 yards and five passing touchdowns and did it in just three quarters. Indiana tallied nearly 600 yards of offense once again, was perfect in the red zone once again, and was dominant once again. The Hoosiers clobbered the Illini by a score of 63-10. Indiana was 4-0, now with a top-10 win.
It was the most points a Big Ten team has ever scored on an AP top-10 team. It was Cignetti’s first win with Indiana over an AP top-10 team. It put the nation on notice. Indiana was all over the national media. Narratives started to grow. Indiana was legit, and so was its quarterback.
A crowd awaited Mendoza in the weight room. He walked in, settled himself, and looked up at the cameras and microphones once again. Questions flew in about his evaluation of the offense, expecting the typical answer from the Indiana quarterback: everyone else played great, I need to be better.
That night, it was different. Something clicked.
“I think that we’re a dominant offense,” Mendoza said. “I'm really glad I was able to play point guard today, to distribute to our running backs, distribute to our receivers, and be a part of it.”
A smile appeared on his face as he finished the sentence. Being part of a successful group gave him the confidence to succeed. All it took was a trip back to the basics of quarterbacking. He did not need to show off everything he had. He just needed to use the natural talent that he possessed.
“I got back to being who I am,” Mendoza said. “Trying to accelerate my footwork, finish throws and really just trust my eyes and to rip the ball.”
In the three games since his return to the fundamentals, Mendoza has completed 85 percent (58 of 68) of his passes for 14 touchdowns. He leads the nation in touchdown passes and total touchdowns. Indiana’s offense leads the country with 30 touchdowns and is second in yards per game with a 588.5 mark.
In the last five quarters where Mendoza has been on the field, he has completed 40 of 43 passes for 537 yards with 11 total touchdowns.
The Hoosiers are ranked No. 11 in the AP top-25 after week four with a prolific offense and a lockdown defense. The chance for a second consecutive College Football Playoff appearance increases each week. The confidence continues to build.
“I've gone into a good routine here where I'm trusting my preparation, I know what's going to work, I know how it's going to pay off,” Mendoza said.
Knowing what is going to work has brought Mendoza a few things: a top offense in the country, an identity within that offense, and a winning team.
Within Indiana’s high-octane offense, Mendoza’s role is to communicate, direct traffic and distribute the ball. Just like any true point guard, he allows his teammates to shine, while fending for himself if necessary.
Receivers Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt are tied for second nationally with five touchdown receptions. Indiana leads the country in total rushing yards. Tight end Riley Nowakowski has almost gained his production from all of last year. The offensive line has only given up three sacks.
No matter how simple it is, a team cannot run an offense without its point guard playing well.
Four weeks into the season, Mendoza is doing it better than just about anyone in the country. As it turns out, that’s good enough to own the top odds to win the Heisman Trophy.
The campaign has begun.
