Why Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza dropped F-bomb after winning national title

Fernando Mendoza has been the poster child of an ideal Catholic athlete all season, consistently backing his stellar play on the field with a reserved personality in front of the camera. That made the Indiana quarterback’s first public F-bomb particularly surprising when he finally let his emotions out after beating Miami to win the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

Mendoza cut loose with ESPN’s Rece Davis after the game, letting out a loud “let’s f****** go” at the end of his speech on stage during the trophy ceremony. He explained to reporters after the fact that it was a moment that had been a long time coming.

“All season, I’ve had these cookie-cutter responses,” Mendoza said, via Chris Vannini of ‘The Athletic.’ “At that point, I think it was only fitting to open the floodgates.”

FERNANDO MENDOZA TAKES HOME OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME

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That moment even stunned ESPN, which did not have time to dub his microphone before he screamed the F-bomb onto live air. The corporate office might not like it, but Indiana fans who had been waiting for that moment for decades surely did not mind.

If there is any player who deserves a one-time pass, it is certainly Mendoza, who carried Indiana to its crowning moment. The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner showed up when the Hoosiers needed him most, finding the end zone for the first time all night with his legs on a crucial 4th-and-5 play in the red zone to give his team the lead in the fourth quarter.

Mendoza ended what was likely his final college football game, completing 16 of 27 passes for 186 yards and his rushing touchdown. He did not throw a touchdown pass for the first time since Indiana’s season-opening win over Old Dominion.

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