MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The clock hit zero, the confetti cannons fired, and for the first time in history, the Indiana Hoosiers are the kings of college football.
In a game that swung wildly from defensive slugfest to fourth-quarter shootout, No. 1 Indiana survived a furious rally from No. 10 Miami to claim a 27-21 victory in the College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium.
The night will forever be remembered for “The Call.”
With the Hoosiers clinging to a precarious lead in the fourth quarter and facing a fourth-and-five deep in Miami territory, head coach Curt Cignetti initially sent the field goal unit onto the field. But after a timeout that will live in Hoosier lore, the offense trotted back out. The play? A quarterback draw for Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza.
Mendoza didn’t just get the first down. He bounced off tacklers, spun, and leaped into the end zone for a touchdown that silenced the Miami crowd and gave Indiana the breathing room it desperately needed.
READ: Unbeaten Indiana, Home-Field Miami, And The Spread That Has Vegas Holding Its Breath
Miami refused to go quietly. The Hurricanes punched back almost immediately with a 22-yard touchdown catch by freshman phenom Malachi Toney, who evaded multiple tackles to find paydirt.
But when Miami needed the ball back, Mendoza and the Indiana offense refused to yield. On a critical late drive, Mendoza delivered strikes to Omar Cooper Jr. and Charlie Becker on third downs, burning precious clock and setting up a field goal to push the lead to six.
The Hurricanes had one final gas—1:47 on the clock, no timeouts, and a chance for immortality. A roughing the passer penalty gave them life, moving the ball near midfield. But with 44 seconds remaining, Miami quarterback Carson Beck looked for a miracle and found disaster. His pass over the middle was picked off by Indiana defensive back Jamari Sharpe, sealing the victory and sending the Indiana sideline into bedlam.
Mendoza finished with 186 yards passing and the legendary rushing score, cementing his legacy as perhaps the greatest player in program history. For Miami, it’s a heartbreak ending to a magical run, but for Indiana, the long wait is over. The Hoosiers have completed the unbelievable climb from perennial underdog to National Champions.
Final Score: Indiana 27, Miami 21
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