Fernando Mendoza has been busted open.
During Monday night’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game, the Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner was bleeding from his mouth after taking a big hit.
The moment happened on Indiana’s second drive of the game as it went into Hurricane territory. Mendoza handed the ball off to Kaelon Black on an apparent option and clearly didn’t have possession despite faking a run, but it didn’t stop Miami’s Jacoby Thomas from delivering a hard hit on the quarterback.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti was upset about his quarterback getting unnecessarily hit, and it led to a bloody mouth for Mendoza. He looked slightly shaken up by the play but Mendoza didn’t leave the game. The Hoosiers ended up stalling on the drive, kicking a field three plays later to take an early 3-0 lead.
Not long after, ESPN rules analyst Bill LeMonnier said a flag should have been thrown for targeting on Thomas for leading with his helmet, which would have resulted in an Indiana first down.
Indiana leads Miami, 3-0, during the second quarter.
