They say history is cyclical, and after four decades dormant, Fernandomania is back. This time, it's 2,000 miles east of Dodger Stadium.
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza had been in the conversation for QB1 for much of the summer. And as the calendar turned to fall, Mendoza had the opportunity to give the Hoosiers a statement win and add credibility to his draft stock in one fell swoop.
He took full advantage. Illinois entered Week 4 as the No. 9 team in the country and left it with a loss. Mendoza was the best player on the field, leading Indiana to a dominant 63-10 win. He, undeniably, has arrived.
Fernando Mendoza jumped off the screen vs. Illinois
Mendoza flashed several of his strengths on Saturday, and it made a firm imprint on the box score.
He finished the day completing 21-of-23 passes for 267 yards and five touchdowns. There were two sacks, two incompletions, and virtually no other imperfections to speak of. Mendoza was excellent, and his best plays elicited upside.
Mendoza is a big-game hunter who has the arm talent to pull off tight-window throws to the intermediate and deep parts of the field. His best throw of the night came on one such throw in the red zone.
#Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza became only the second FBS player with 5 passing TDs and a 90% comp. pct vs. an AP ranked opponent in the last 30 years.
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) September 22, 2025
Simply put…he was incredible vs. Illinois. pic.twitter.com/tDRefSdUt4
The rest of the night, Mendoza played point guard and displayed the intangibles necessary to do so. He was in full control pre- and post-snap, processing quickly and working well within structure. Technically, his two sacks on seven pressures don't equate a great pressure-to-sack rate, but he didn't put himself in disadvantageous situations, either.
For a passer whose pocket management can be a drawback, it was good film to put on tape. He spoke after the game about how he took that step forward.
"I would say it's the coaching and then also the confidence my teammates have in me," Mendoza said. "My teammates have a ton of confidence [...] I want to serve my teammates.
"Early in the season, like Old Dominion [...] I wanted to have too perfect of a season. I was trying to force completions here and there, but as soon as I kind of went back and was coached by Coach Whitmer, Coach Shanahan, Coach Cignetti – 'hey, you gotta stick to the process, one play at a time, zero-zero, no emotion' – I got back to being who I am. Trying to accelerate my footwork, finish throws, and really just trust my eyes and to rip the ball."
MORE: Fernando Mendoza 2026 NFL Draft scouting report: Big arm, bigger upside
Of course, one game carries the risks of a small sample. Even three games against ranked opponents (Oct. 11 in Oregon and Nov. 8 at Penn State) won't be enough to guarantee anything. But stacking quality performances against high-level competition helps check one of the boxes Mendoza wanted to when he transferred from Cal to the Big Ten.
Mendoza has a ton of arm talent and enough athleticism to get by. The intangibles, although unfinished, looked better than ever against Illinois. Carrying that momentum forward -- mitigating his weaknesses and amplifying his abundant physical strengths -- will be key to ensuring Saturday doesn't become a blip on the radar. He'll have the opportunity to pull that off, and in an unstable quarterback class, it could be enough to crown him QB1. That isn't lost on the Hoosiers' Heisman candidate.
"I felt pretty locked in. I've gone into a good routine here where I'm trusting my preparation, I know what's going to work, I know how it's going to pay off."
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