The Miami Hurricanes are not holding back when they get a clear shot at Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The vaunted Hurricanes defense is looking to punish the Heisman winner in the College Football Playoff national championship, and it was bloody visible during the first quarter.
Mendoza was hit late twice during the opening quarter, with one of them deemed a clear targeting violation by ESPN's commentators. However, no flag was thrown and the Hoosiers settled for a field goal.
You can see defensive back Jakobe Thomas ignore a handoff and instead take out Mendoza. Thomas led with his helmet and got Mendoza right in the facemask, leaving him with a bloody mouth. He even appeared to leave his feet which means he launched himself at the quarerback.
Fernando Mendoza took a hit on this play 😳 pic.twitter.com/phaZoT2X92
— ESPN (@espn) January 20, 2026
Despite the rough play, Mendoza finished the quarter completing seven of 10 passes for 67 yards and Indiana took a 3-0 lead.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fernando Mendoza Bloodied As Refs Ignore Targeting Hit by Miami Defender.
