Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza throws during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Illinois, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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At halftime Saturday night, Indiana led Illinois, 35-10, a dominant performance in a game that was supposed to be close. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, a Cal transfer and early season Heisman Trophy favorite, had thrown for three touchdowns and was nearly flawless. Still, Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti apparently wasn’t satisfied.
When NBC sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen asked Cignetti what he wanted to see from his offense, he quickly replied.
“More points,” said Cignetti, smirking.
The then-No. 19 Hoosiers did just that, scoring another touchdown on the opening possession of the second half. And they never let up, winning, 63-10, over the then-No. 9 Illini, which was supposed to have an elite defense. Illinois allowed 7.3 points per game in its first three games, the fifth-fewest in the nation, albeit against weak competition in Western Illinois, Duke and Western Michigan.
The Illini, though, had no answers on Saturday against Indiana. The Hoosiers are now 4-0 and No. 11 in the Associated Press poll, the program’s highest ranking this early in the season since 1969. Indiana has won its first four games in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1985 and 1986. Back then, the Hoosiers couldn’t keep up their hot starts, going 4-7 in 1985 and 6-6 a year later. But last season, IU made the College Football Playoff, and it is playing even better than a year ago and could be back in the CFP thanks to a deep, talented roster led by Mendoza.
On Saturday night, Mendoza went 21 of 23 for 267 yards and five touchdowns and completed his final 17 passes. He could have thrown for more yards, too, but the Hoosiers ran on their last 19 offensive plays and finished with 312 yards rushing on 49 carries (6.4 yards per run). It was the second consecutive near perfect performance for Mendoza, who was 19 of 20 for 270 yards and five touchdowns in a 73-0 victory over Indiana State on Sept. 12.
“I really had a lot of confidence in him going into the game,” Cignetti said. “His progress has really accelerated the last couple of weeks. I thought he was right on target.”
Through four games, Mendoza has thrown for a nation’s-best 14 touchdowns and no interceptions. He is second in the Football Bowl Subdivision with a 76.8% completion percentage and a 206.16 passer rating. It is a major improvement from last season at Cal when Mendoza completed 68.7% of his passes for 16 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 144.6 rating.
Since arriving at Indiana, Mendoza has worked with Cignetti, offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer and become more comfortable in the pocket, being patient and making smart decisions in a run-pass option-heavy offense.
“I think he’s got a tremendous upside, and he prepares,” Cignetti said. “He’s a tremendous person. He will do everything he can to be the best that he can be. It means a lot to him. He wants to be great.”
Mendoza is playing so well that he is among the early season favorites for the Heisman alongside Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, Miami quarterback Carson Beck and Oregon quarterback Dante Moore.
No Indiana player has won a Heisman, and only two have finished in the top five of the voting: running back Bill Hillenbrand was fifth in 1942, while running back Anthony Thompson was second in 1989. Six other times, the Hoosiers have had a top 10 Heisman finish, including last year when quarterback Kurtis Rourke was ninth.
Rourke transferred to Indiana last season after starting at Ohio University for three seasons. He completed 69.4% of his passes for 3,042 yards, 29 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He was second in FBS with a 176.01 passer rating and tied for third 9.5 yards per pass attempt.
With Rourke at the helm, the Hoosiers won their first 10 games and rose to No. 5 in the AP poll before losing to then-No. 2 Ohio State, 38-15, on the road. They then defeated lowly Purdue and qualified for the CFP, where they lost their first round game to Notre Dame, 27-17, in a game they trailed by 27-3 late in the fourth quarter.
In his first season at Indiana, Cignetti was named the AP coach of the year, as he turned around a team that had gone 3-9 overall and 1-8 in the Big Ten Conference in 2023 under coach Tom Allen. Still, fans and media questioned how good the Hoosiers were because of their weak schedule and losses to Ohio State and Notre Dame, who ended up meeting in the national title game. Cignetti wasn’t shy about defending his team last season, but he has changed his tune somewhat this season.
“We don’t talk a lot,” Cignetti said Saturday. “We get to the field, it’s all business. I know I stirred things up last year media-wise because I felt like I had to. This fan base was dead. I just had to set some expectations.”
Now, after Saturday’s lopsided victory, those expectations are sky high. Besides having an elite quarterback in Mendoza, who could be a first round pick in the 2026 NFL draft, the Hoosiers have a dominant defense that had seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss on Saturday. They return to action at Iowa this coming Saturday and then face No. 6 Oregon on the road on Oct. 11. IU also visits No. 2 Penn State on Nov. 8. By then, there will be little doubt as to where the Hoosiers stand among the CFP contenders. For now, they’re on the right path, as Cignetti has taken over a program that won a total of nine games from 2021 through 2023 and turned it into an unlikely top-tier Big Ten team.
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