Curt Cignetti wasn’t very happy with the officials’ treatment of his quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza, during the national championship game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes on Monday.
During the first half of the game, it seemed like the officials were soft on the ‘Canes defense, as replays from the broadcast looked like clear fouls against the Indiana signal-caller.
Cignetti was clear on his opinion on the matter at halftime, telling ESPN’s Holly Rowe:
“There’s three personal fouls on the quarterback not called in one drive. They need to be called because they’re obvious personal fouls. I’m all for letting them play, but when you cross the line you got to call it. And they were obvious, black and white calls.”
Fernando Mendoza Ends Up Bloodied After a Missed Targeting Call
Especially egregious was a play in the second quarter of the game in which Miami’s defensive end Jakobe Thomas seemingly charged at Fernando Mendoza in a play worthy of a targeting call. The play was a third-and-four handoff from Mendoza to running back Kaelon Black on Miami’s 27-yard line. The quarterback could even be seen with a bloody mouth in the play’s aftermath. Yet somehow, this didn’t even prompt the officials to review the play.
Fernando Mendoza’s Numbers in the National Championship Game
Thankfully, the play doesn’t seem to have affected the player’s ability to perform, and he has looked his usual calm and collected self in the national championship game. Halfway through the game’s third quarter, Fernando Mendoza has thrown for 116 yards, with a completion percentage of 66.6% (12 completed passes out of 18 attempts).
He would want to perform well today, not only because of the importance that winning a national title carries, but because he has important eyes on him. The entire Las Vegas Raiders front office, including team owner Mark Davis, general manager John Spytek, and minority owner Tom Brady, seems to be in the room for the game.
The Raiders hold the first overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, which Mendoza is the favorite to become.
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