Miami (AFP) – The Indiana University Hoosiers defeated the University of Miami Hurricanes 27-21 to win the US college football national championship on Monday, crowning a fairytale undefeated campaign with their first national title. Indiana’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza rushed for a crucial second half touchdown to help set up a memorable victory at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
The win completed a perfect 16-0 season for Indiana, who stunned the world of US collegiate sport this year by sweeping all before them in a dominant campaign. The Hoosiers have traditionally been seen as a punching bag for the heavyweight teams of US college football, perennial whipping boys who had never come close to a championship before the arrival of coach Curt Cignetti in 2023. In the space of two seasons, however, Cignetti has transformed the college’s program, using clever recruitment to form a tightly knit roster of players overlooked by other teams.
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“It took a lot to get here, but I’ll tell you what it took to come out ahead in this game was a lot of guts,” Cignetti said afterwards. “We won a national championship at Indiana University–it can be done. I’m so happy for our fans; words can’t describe it.”
Cignetti meanwhile singled out quarterback Mendoza for special praise. Mendoza, who is now widely expected to be chosen by the Las Vegas Raiders with the top pick in the NFL Draft, rushed for a 12-yard touchdown on a risky fourth down situation in the fourth quarter to give Indiana a 10-point lead late in the game.
“Oh my god he’s so tough,” Cignetti said of Mendoza. “He keeps getting back up; just a great competitor. There’s no way this gets done without that kind of performance. I can’t say enough great things about him.”
© 2024 AFP
