Fernando Mendoza led Indiana to its first Big Ten Championship in 58 years with its upset win over Ohio State on Saturday — and, in the process, aced his final test to win the Heisman Trophy, according to FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt.
In the latest episode of the “Joel Klatt Show,” Klatt said he thinks the Indiana quarterback firmly established himself as the frontrunner to win the Heisman ahead of Saturday’s ceremony following his performance against the Buckeyes.
“Think about what this guy has done. He’s No. 1 in the country,” Klatt said. “They’re 13-0. He made throw after throw after throw in big moments on the road all year long. It didn’t matter the opponent. He beat now the No. 2 team in the country on a neutral site, and No. 5 team in the country in their building.
“No other player has a résumé like Fernando Mendoza, and, candidly, it’s not even close. Anybody that argues differently is wrong. I don’t know how else to say it.”
Did Fernando Mendoza lock up the Heisman with his performance vs. Ohio State? 🤔
While Mendoza has had a great year overall, he didn’t necessarily have the greatest stats as Indiana only put up 13 points in its three-point victory over Ohio State. Mendoza completed 15 of 23 passes for 222 yards, one touchdown and an interception, and made some big throws when it really mattered, especially on passes on third and fourth down where he went a combined 7-of-10.
One of those completions was a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Elijah Surratt that gave Indiana the lead in the third quarter. But, the biggest third-down completion Mendoza made was a 33-yard completion to WR Charlie Becker that essentially iced the game.
Those throws were Mendoza’s latest Heisman moments, according to Klatt.
“He made giant throws in that second half, giant Heisman Trophy style throws,” he said. “That touchdown to Surratt was incredible. The ball down the field to Becker [for a 51-yard gain in the third quarter]. Then, in the fourth quarter, he was able to convert down the field again to Charlie Becker. It was phenomenal.
“Mendoza definitely had a Heisman moment. I thought that the throw to Becker was a Heisman moment, in particular, late on Saturday.”
Mendoza certainly has the numbers to make a strong Heisman case. He’s thrown for 2,980 yards, leads the nation in touchdown passes (33), and ranks first among power conference quarterbacks in yards per attempt (9.4). But, Saturday was further evidence that Mendoza can be more than just a stat compiler.
As Klatt mentioned, the Big Ten Championship Game marked the fourth time this season that Mendoza made plays in the fourth quarter in an environment away from home in order to help ensure a win for Indiana. He did so at Iowa back in September before picking up a win at Oregon in October, and eventually led Indiana to a comeback in the final minute at Penn State.
“What did Fernando Mendoza and the passing game do in every one of those scenarios? They performed and delivered,” Klatt said as he rattled off Mendoza’s clutch moments this year.
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