Fernando Mendoza Tosses 4 TDs As Indiana Steamrolls Kennesaw State In Family Affair
Another Saturday, another Mendoza show in Bloomington. Fernando Mendoza, the Cal transfer with the rocket arm, decided to put on an absolute clinic, tossing four touchdowns and leading the No. 23 Indiana Hoosiers to a laugher of a 56-9 win over a completely outmatched Kennesaw State.
If you were hoping for a nail-biter after last week’s squeaker against Old Dominion, you came to the wrong stadium. This was a beatdown from the opening whistle. Mendoza looked like a man possessed, surgically completing 18 of 25 passes for 245 yards. His favorite target? That would be Elijah Sarratt, who must have a magnet in his gloves. Sarratt snagged three of Mendoza’s touchdown passes from 3, 9, and 20 yards out. It was a connection so smooth, you’d think they’d been playing together since Pop Warner.
Hoosiers Leave No Doubt
After dropping three spots in the rankings for having the audacity to win by only 13 points last week, it was clear Indiana had a point to prove. They came out angry, and Kennesaw State was simply the team that had to bear the brunt of it.
“I liked the way our guys kept playing one play at a time,” Coach Curt Cignetti said, though you could tell he was still wound up. “I was a little bit of a tyrant in the fourth quarter, but my job is to make the team better, so that’s the way it is.”
A tyrant? Coach, this was a demolition. The Hoosiers held a staggering 593-271 advantage in total yards. They didn’t turn the ball over once. It was clean, it was efficient, and it was brutal.
Kennesaw State’s Rough Road Trip
You have to feel for the Kennesaw State Owls. Their early-season schedule is the stuff of nightmares. After a heartbreaking 10-9 loss at Wake Forest, they had to walk into Memorial Stadium to face another Power 4 giant. The result was, well, predictable.
While the defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed, kicker Daniel Kinney was their entire offense, booting three field goals. That’s right, their only points came from the special teams unit. “It was not a good day for us,” Owls Coach Jerry Mack said, delivering the understatement of the year. “Teams like this hold you accountable for your mistakes.”
A Brotherly Shove… Out of the Game
Just when you thought the story was written, the game turned into a family reunion. With the game well in hand, Fernando Mendoza got the tap on the shoulder. Who came in to relieve him? None other than his own younger brother, Alberto Mendoza.
The redshirt freshman didn’t just take a knee. On his first drive, Alberto zipped a 6-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Becker, his first-ever collegiate TD. He went a perfect 3-for-3 for 35 yards. The Mendoza brothers combined for five touchdown passes. I hope their mom and dad were splitting their cheers evenly. You just can’t write a better script than that.
Don’t Forget the Razzle-Dazzle
Oh, and because a 47-point blowout wasn’t entertaining enough, the Hoosiers decided to dip into their bag of tricks. After a fumble recovery, wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. took an end-around and galloped 75 yards to the house, leaving a trail of defenders in his wake.
“Cooper’s reverse was a really big play in the game,” Cignetti said. A big play? It was the final nail in a coffin that was already six feet under. With this commanding win, the Hoosiers should comfortably hold onto their spot in the Top 25. They’ll look to keep the momentum going next Friday night at home against Indiana State. As for Coach Cignetti, he can finally go crack open that beer. He’s earned it.
