In Indiana's 63-10 rout over Illinois, Fernando Mendoza put the nation on notice

When Indiana took the field to begin the fourth quarter against Illinois, Fernando Mendoza wasn’t out there.

In a matchup between No. 19 and No. 9, one that many felt would be close until the final whistle, having your starting quarterback on the bench for the final quarter would usually never be a good sign.

But it was.

The reality was that Mendoza was so impressive that he didn’t need to be out there for the fourth quarter. His team was already ahead 49-10.

“I thought it made, you know, a great statement,” Mendoza said following Indiana’s beatdown of the Illini.

In their 63-10 victory, the Hoosiers were nearly perfect on offense when Mendoza was out there, as Indiana was able to score a touchdown on six of the eight drives by the redshirt junior quarterback. Mendoza himself was also close to perfection on completions, going 21-for-23 through the air.

After a 19-for-20 mark in Week 3 against Indiana State, some were quick to discredit Mendoza’s precision due to the lack of competition from the FCS-level Sycamores. But Saturday against Illinois was different. This was a Big Ten opponent, an opponent ranked inside the top 10, yet Mendoza made them look like a team you’d find in the FCS ranks.

In addition to his incredibly precise accuracy, Mendoza totaled 267 yards and five touchdowns, tying a career high for passing touchdowns that he set, not coincidentally, last week against Indiana State.

MORE: Hoosiers humiliate Illinois — and force college football to take notice

“I thought he took a major step forward last week and again this week. And really had a lot of confidence in him going into the game. I think his progress has really accelerated the last couple weeks,” head coach Curt Cignetti told reporters. “I thought he was right on target.”

Mendoza wasn’t great in Week 1. He showed growing pains in a new offense, and he simply didn’t look like the quarterback we’ve seen in Indiana’s past two games. He didn’t look like a Heisman candidate after the Hoosiers’ season opener, and while that may sound like an unfair standard to set, it’s not.

Why? Because he looked like the Heisman frontrunner on Saturday night.

Mendoza was executing passes that are commonplace among NFL starting quarterbacks. He was dicing up Illinois, and it almost seemed like he was getting better as the game went on. It seemed that way for a good reason, and that’s because he was.

Mendoza completed his final 17 passing attempts, with four of those throws being touchdown passes. He was surgical when he needed to be, he used his legs when necessary, but most of all, he’s made incredible strides in just four games as an Indiana Hoosier.

“I think he’s got a tremendous upside and he prepares. He’s a tremendous person. He will do everything he can to be the best he can be. It means a lot to him. He wants to be great. And he’s made great progress the last couple of weeks,” Cignetti said of his quarterback.

Cignetti isn’t quick to give praise when it isn’t deserved, but it certainly was here. You’d have to be looking away not to notice how much better Mendoza has gotten through four games, but even then the roar of Memorial Stadium would give you a pretty good idea that Mendoza was leading a successful offense.

“As an offense, it’s really starting to click and really glad that, you know, we’re all meshing together,” Mendoza mentioned, in what could be seen as the understatement of the year.

Indiana’s offense wasn’t just meshing — it was dominating. The Illini looked like a JV squad when Mendoza dropped back to pass. The Hoosier quarterback was able to get several receivers involved. Of his five touchdowns, Mendoza found four different receivers in the end zone.

He’ll always look to credit his teammates first, and Mendoza was no different here.

“I would say it’s the coaching and then also the confidence my teammates have in me,” Mendoza said. “I always want to serve my teammates.”

While Mendoza always takes the high road and credits those around him, the fact of the matter is that he’s truly a special talent. He’s got an NFL skillset, and he proved it on a primetime, nationally televised stage on Saturday night.

“Well, physical attributes. He’s got a quick whip, strong arm, accurate, mobile,” Cignetti said, evaluating Mendoza’s talent after the game. “The biggest thing when he came to us was working with him in the pocket and the drop-back game, being a little bit more patient, poised going through his progressions.”

With the physical tools and a strong mentality, the sky’s the limit for Mendoza. He reached pretty high against Illinois, but with more tough games ahead, this could be the start of something greater for this Indiana team.

How it Happened: No. 19 Indiana makes a statement with 63-10 win over No. 9 Illinois

But against Illinois, Mendoza could do it all. He willed his team to victory, and while Indiana dominated every phase of the game, the quarterback stood out.

During the fourth quarter, Mendoza was able to stand on the sidelines while his brother Alberto took over in a one-sided Hoosier victory. It’s happened the past three weeks, but this time it was different. It wasn’t against a Sun Belt team, Conference USA team or FCS team — it was against the No. 9 team in the country.

The final score was 63-10, and Fernando Mendoza had his Heisman moment. He’s ready for more, but for now, the entire country was put on notice. 

The Indiana Hoosiers are for real, and their quarterback proved that without a reasonable doubt.

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