Hoosiers Won The NCAA National Championship For The First Time
On Monday, Jan. 19, the NCAA National Championship was held at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
There, the Indiana Hoosiers, of Indiana Bloomington University, competed against the Miami Hurricanes, of the University of Miami.
Early on, Hoosiers Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who was awarded the Heisman Trophy last month, helped bring the Hoosiers the first touchdown of the game.
All the way through halftime, Miami remained at 0, but they came back strong, scoring 21 points.
However, it wasn’t enough, as the Hoosiers scored 27 points, for a final score of 27-21.
This victory marked the first ever National Championship victory for the Indiana Hoosiers, and it also makes the Hoosiers the first team since the 1894 Yale Bullfrogs to win all 16 games in their season.
Naturally, post game interview attention was on their quarterback, Mendoza, but he directed the praise to God.
Watch Fernando Mendoza Give God The Glory For National Championship Victory
“That’s one thing about teamwork, you’ve always got to put it all on the line,” Mendoza said in his ESPN post game remarks, adding, “I want to give all the glory and thanks to God, there.”
Continuing, Mendoza made it clear that he attributed God’s sovereign hand to his team’s effectiveness, saying, “My offensive linemen blocked perfectly, and were able to execute the team to the common goal of the Indiana Hoosiers energy to score and to give our team a chance to win the game.”
Watch Fernando Mendoza thank God for his team’s victory, here:
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His comments praising God follow similar remarks that he made in December 2025 when he received the Heisman Trophy, writing on social media, “God did.”
Looking to the National Championship game, there was one play, in particular, that has been highlighted, as it saw the Hoosiers solidify their lead with a feat of extraordinary athleticism.
The score at the top of the 4th quarter was 17-14, and Mendoza ran the ball from the 12-yard line to the end zone, leaping over several Hurricane players to score a touchdown that paved the way for the Hoosiers’ victory.
Of that play, Mendoza said, “I’ll go airborne, I’ll die for my team. Whatever they need me to do, they need me to take a shot from the front, the back, whatever it is, I’m gonna die for my team out there, and I know they’re gonna do the same for me. That’s what makes us so close.”
See Fernando Mendoza’s stunning touchdown in the 4th quarter, here:
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