Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza explained why win against Miami was personal

As if playing in the College Football Playoff national championship game wasn’t enough motivation, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza had a little extra incentive against the Miami Hurricanes.

Coming out of Miami (FL) Columbus High School, Miami spurned Mendoza even as a walk-on.

“I got declined to walk-on at the University of Miami,” Mendoza told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after leading the Hoosiers to a 27-21 victory over Miami at Hard Rock Stadium. “Full circle moment here playing in Miami.”

The Heisman Trophy winner and projected No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft completed 16-of-27 passes for 186 yards and bulled his way for a rushing touchdown that put the Hoosiers ahead 24-14 midway through the fourth quarter.

“It’s been a physical game and we had to play physical and we did play physical,” Mendoza said. “We elevated it and this victory is so sweet for everybody, for the entire nation, but also it’s super sweet of myself. I was a two-star recruit coming out of high school.”

Mendoza and the Hoosiers beat traditional powers Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon and Miami en route its first national championship and a 16-0 season.

After likely doing a round on the talk shows, the next stop for Mendoza will be the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh in April, where he is expected to go No. 1 to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Raiders minority owner Tom Brady was on the sidelines for the game in a team hoodie with GM John Spytek.

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