The biggest Big Ten Championship game in decades had quite the scary moment during the first play of the game. Indiana star quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is the current Heisman frontrunner, took a huge hit from Ohio State's Caden Curry.
Mendoza briefly left the game, but returned after one play on the sidelines.
Here's everything you need to know about Mendoza's injury.
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Fernando Mendoza Injury updates
Mendoza took a big hit to his right throwing shoulder on the first play of the game. He exited briefly but returned. He did throw an interception a few series later, so his shoulder may be affected slightly. After returning to the field, he could be seen frequently rotating his arm as if to loosen up his injury.
What happened to Fernando Mendoza?
Mendoza took a hit from OSU defensive end Caden Curry. The hit was clean, but you can see Mendoza took the brunt of it on his right throwing shoulder.
Fernando mendoza injury; indiana vs ohio state pic.twitter.com/T17HYAa6U1
— ◇ (@F0RGIAT0) December 7, 2025
How did Fernando Mendoza survive this? Pic.twitter.com/xTOd0kRI0E
— Straight Shooter Sports (@SST_SPORTS1) December 7, 2025
Mendoza was down on the field for at least a minute, but it was encouraging to see him jog off the field to the sideline.
Mendoza left the game for just one play, but returned on the next play. Mendoza's younger brother, Alberto, is coincidentally Indiana's backup quarterback. He handed the ball off on his lone snap of the game.
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Indiana QB depth chart
Here's a look at the Hoosiers' quarterback depth chat, led by the two Mendoza brothers. Alberto is a redshirt freshman, a former 3-star quarterback prospect from the class of 2024.
| QB | Player |
| No. 1 | Fernando Mendoza |
| No. 2 | Alberto Mendoza |
| No. 3 | Grant Wilson |
Is Alberto Mendoza Fernado Mendoza's brother?
Yes, Alberto Mendoza is Fernando's younger brother. He played high school football at Columbus in Miami, Fla., where his brother also played. So far this season, the younger Mendoza has thrown 18 passes for 286 yards with five touchdowns and one interception.
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