12/13/25 07:06:00
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12/13 19:04 CST Fernando Mendoza wins the Heisman Trophy as college football's
top player
Fernando Mendoza wins the Heisman Trophy as college football's top player
By EVERETT MERRILL
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) --- Fernando Mendoza, the mercurial quarterback of No. 1 Indiana,
won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, becoming the first Hoosier to win
college football's most prestigious award since its inception in 1935.
Mendoza claimed 2,362 first place votes. He beat Vanderbilt quarterback Diego
Pavia (1,435 votes), Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (719 votes) and
Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin (432 votes).
Mendoza guided the Hoosiers to their first No. 1 ranking and the top seed in
the 12-team College Football bracket, throwing for 2,980 yards and a
national-best 33 touchdown passes while also running for six scores. Indiana,
the last unbeaten team in major college football, will play a College Football
Playoff quarterfinal game in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
Mendoza, the Hoosiers' first-year starter after transferring from California,
is the triggerman for an offense that surpassed program records for touchdowns
and points set during last season's surprise run to the CFP.
A redshirt junior, the once lightly recruited Miami native is the second
Heisman finalist in school history, joining 1989 runner-up Anthony Thompson.
Mendoza is the seventh Indiana player to earn a top-10 finish in Heisman
balloting and it marks another first in program history --- having back-to-back
players in the top 10. Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke was ninth last year.
The Heisman Trophy presentation came after a number of accolades were already
awarded. Mendoza was named The Associated Press player of the year earlier this
week and picked up the Maxwell and Davey O'Brien awards Friday night while Love
won the Doak Walker Award.
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