Back in Pac-12 territory, Fernando Mendoza has a chance to put his skill and intelligence on display

In familiar territory, Saturday’s matchup with Oregon could be Fernando Mendoza’s moment.

The quarterback has proven his worth in Indiana’s first five games, but as someone who’s getting talked about in the Heisman Trophy conversation, Mendoza has a lot on the line when he takes the field inside Autzen Stadium.

Ahead of what could be considered the biggest game of his career, Mendoza’s teammates have all the confidence in the world in their quarterback. They’ve taken notice of not only his talent, but his mind, leadership ability and work ethic.

These qualities put together make Mendoza someone who can put on a show on a big stage. We saw it against Illinois in Week 4, but on an even bigger stage against Oregon on Saturday, all eyes will be on No. 15 for the Hoosiers.

“His talent’s undeniable, but combine that with his work ethic … like his work ethic, it is second to none. And that’s what separates him,” center Pat Coogan said following Tuesday’s practice.

Coogan mentioned that while he was speaking to the media, Mendoza was still putting work in 45 minutes after practice ended. He’s a perfectionist, and his teammates understand that, which is why he’s been able to become an incredibly important leader inside Indiana’s locker room.

“Leadership-wise, he’s been phenomenal. And then obviously I think his arm talent speaks for itself. Just really good mentally as well … just really smart,” linebacker Aiden Fisher explained.

PLUS: Keys to the Game: How Indiana can upset Oregon in top-10 showdown

The quarterback of any team is a de facto leader, but Mendoza doesn’t take this role lightly. He’s intentional with what he says, he always speaks glowingly about his teammates, and when he’s on the field, you can see how he makes everyone around him better.

A lot of that has to do with his mind. Like Fisher said, Mendoza is incredibly smart, and you can see that play out on the field when he’s going through his progressions.

Mendoza is excellent at reading defenses and deciphering when to escape the pocket, and that all goes back to his intelligence as a quarterback. A lot of QBs have it, but according to the Hoosiers, Mendoza’s mind is just different.

“His mind outside of just his arm talent is good, too. He can make his reads quick. If this isn’t there, he knows where to go right then and there. So, it’s a little bit of everything that he does,” wide receiver Elijah Sarratt told reporters on Tuesday.

It’s visible that Mendoza’s mind plays a big part in what he’s able to accomplish on the field, and in a massive game like Saturday’s, he’ll have to stay calm and collected in order to use his intelligence at its full potential.

Saturday could be his moment, not only to make his case for the Heisman or display his skill to NFL scouts, but achieve what would be a monumental victory for Indiana.

A win would prove that the Hoosiers aren’t just among the elite in college football, but it would provide a strong argument for IU to be the best team in the country. It’s no surprise that the quarterback is the face of the team, so for Mendoza, he’ll have to show just how special he can be once he enters the gridiron.

Curt Cignetti has a simple message for his players, but with an understanding that his quarterback is at the forefront of what’s to come on Saturday, he mentioned that Mendoza needs to keep a level head in a tough road environment.

“I just want Fernando, like the rest of the guys on the team, to relax and play their game. We’re just going to go out there and play our game and play it well,” Cignetti said on Monday.

Autzen Stadium symbolizes an opportunity for Mendoza to succeed on the highest level of his career. Heading out West, against a team he used to share a conference with, Mendoza can turn his past into a fruitful future — one that could include hardware at the college level and a potential first-round NFL Draft selection.

MORE: Indiana heads west with a chance to show it truly belongs among college football’s best

Mendoza’s journey takes him back to a familiar place, a stadium where he had a performance to forget two seasons ago, but one that Indiana hopes to conquer. The then Cal QB completed just 18 of 34 passes in 2023 against the Ducks, but with a work ethic like his, he’s nothing like he was two years ago.

In an offense that works best when he’s slinging the ball left and right, Mendoza has a real shot to dice up this Oregon defense, but it’s up to him to meet the moment head on.

If the Hoosiers want to slay a giant for the first time in the Cignetti era, Mendoza has to be at his best. With a combination of talent, intelligence and work ethic, the Indiana quarterback hopes to prove to the nation why his team belongs in the upper echelon of college football and why he might be the best quarterback in the land.

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