NEW YORK — Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza captured the Heisman Trophy Saturday night, the first player from the Hoosiers to win college football’s top individual honor since the award began in 1935.
Mendoza finished with 2,362 points and received 643 first-place votes, well ahead of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (1,435 points), Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (719) and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin (432).
The redshirt junior has been the driving force behind Indiana’s historic season. Mendoza has thrown for 2,980 yards and a nation-leading 33 touchdown passes while adding six rushing TDs, helping the Hoosiers earn their first No. 1 ranking and the top seed in the 12-team College Football bracket. Indiana, the last unbeaten team in the FBS, will play in a CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
A transfer from California and Indiana’s first-year starter, Mendoza has anchored an offense that set program records for points and touchdowns following last season’s surprising run to the playoff. He is only the second Heisman finalist in school history (Anthony Thompson was the runner-up in 1989), the seventh Indiana player to
