Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza tossed three touchdown passes and the top-ranked Indiana Hoosiers were on cruise control on Thursday, obliterating the No. 9-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide 38-3 at the Rose Bowl Classic.
The Hoosiers, once a downtrodden college football program, will now move on to play No. 5 Oregon, who shut down No. 4 Texas Tech 23-0 at the Orange Bowl, also on Thursday. That’s going to be a College Football Playoff semifinal worth watching for both Ducks and Hoosiers fans.
How Bad Did Indiana Beat Alabama?
In the first half, Mendoza and the Indiana offense staked their claim to the Rose Bowl championship with a 17-0 halftime lead. Alabama simply could not respond at all, eventually benching starting quarterback Ty Simpson due to injury. Backup quarterback Austin Mack came on and tried to jumpstart the Crimson Tide.
But that wasn’t happening at all against a stout Hoosiers’ defensive front.
Hoosiers tack on six‼️
📺: ESPN#CFBPlayoff x #NeverDaunted x #RoseBowl pic.twitter.com/UVDScmpQ88
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) January 1, 2026
After a scoreless first quarter, Indiana kicker Nico Radicic hit a 31-yard field goal to put the Hoosiers up 3-0. Then, the floodgates opened for the Hoosiers. Mendoza connected with Charlie Becker for a 21-yard touchdown pass, and followed that up with a 1-yard touchdown toss to Omar Cooper Jr., putting Indiana up 17-0 at the half.
MORE: Insider: NFL Growing Confident in Fernando Mendoza as Indiana Eyes $2M QB
Halfway through the third quarter, Mendoza connected with Elijah Sarratt for a 24-yard touchdown pass, making it 24-0 at that point. Alabama kicker Connor Talty nailed a 28-yard field goal to put the Crimson Tide on the scoreboard at 24-3.
But Indiana wasn’t about to stop putting the hammer down on Alabama. In the fourth quarter, Hoosiers running back Kaelon Black ran it in from 25 yards out and a 31-3 Indiana lead. Then, Roman Hemby broke through the Alabama defensive line and motored into the end zone from 18 yards out.
At that point, it was game, set, match for Indiana and head coach Curt Cignetti. According to the PFSN CFB QB Impact metrics, Mendoza has an impact score of 93.3 and grades out to an A.
MORE: Alabama Headlines Landing Spots as Ohio State 4-Star QB Lincoln Kienholz Hits the Transfer Portal
Mendoza, with less than six minutes left in the fourth quarter, was 14-of-16 passing for 192 yards and three touchdown passes. He simply was on the mark all game long, hitting wide receivers with precision passes. Mendoza was taken out of the game and replaced by his backup quarterback and brother, Roberto Mendoza.
As for the Crimson Tide, it’s a brutal way for their college football season to end. Indiana was dominant up front on the defensive side, and the offense clicked on all cylinders. With this beatdown, Alabama fans might be murmuring about the future of head coach Kalen DeBoer.
But Cignetti, Mendoza, and the Hoosiers can look ahead now to a Jan. 9 clash with Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, and the Ducks.
