Indiana beat Miami 27–21 to win the College Football Playoff national championship on Monday and cap one of the greatest seasons in college football history. The Hoosiers became the first 16-0 team in the modern era, and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza turned in a signature play that will go down in history as well.
Facing fourth-and-5 from the 12-yard line in the fourth quarter, Mendoza took off up the middle on a designed quarterback draw.
Mendoza hurdled one of his own lineman and ran away from two defenders to get to the line to gain and kept going. He ran into two more defenders and at least one of his own blockers. Then he somehow kept his balance as he spun back towards the end zone and dove forward, ball extended. As Mendoza crossed the goal line he took another brutal hit from a Miami defender, but held onto the ball as he crashed to the turf.
It was thrilling, violent, skillful, clutch and maybe most importantly, it was awesome. It was a signature play for a Heisman winner in the biggest game on the biggest stage in front of the entire country. By the time the play was over, his little brother was screaming into an ESPN microphone and it resulted in an absolutely iconic photo—taken by Sports Illustrated’s Erick Rasco—that should grace the walls of Indiana fans for years to come:
Defying gravity and 100+ years of results all in one image, Mendoza and the Indiana Hoosiers are college football's national champions.
And there's the picture to prove it.
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- Indiana’s 16-0 Season Could Not Be More Unexpected Considering Program's History
- SI:AM | Indiana Completes Storybook Season With Thrilling Win Over Miami
- Carson Beck Ripped for 'Classless' Move After Final Whistle in National Title Game
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fernando Mendoza’s Epic Fourth-Quarter TD Run vs. Miami Results in Iconic Image.
