Indiana's historic season continued Saturday as the Hoosiers' quarterback became the program's first Heisman Trophy winner.
Why Fernando Mendoza won the 2025 Heisman Trophy over Diego Pavia, Julian Sayin originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The road to the 2025 Heisman Trophy was a winding one, with preseason favorites struggling and new contenders exiting the race as quickly as they entered, but one player refused to waver.
Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza placed himself in the upper echelon of Heisman contenders in the opening weeks of the season and never moved, as the Hoosiers knocked off every team in their path on the way to a surprise Big Ten championship.
Early on, it looked as though Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore might compete for college football’s prestigious award. Then came Alabama’s Ty Simpson. After Simpson slipped up, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin asserted himself and briefly became the favorite in some eyes. By Saturday’s ceremony, Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia was seen as Mendoza’s top challenger.
Ultimately, the award went to the Cal Berkeley transfer who helped turn Indiana from a feel-good story into a legitimate national championship contender.
Here's a closer look at why Mendoza won the 2025 Heisman Trophy.
MORE:Meet all four Heisman Trophy finalists
Why Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy
It's no secret there were not many truly dominant players in college football this season. Sometimes, that's just the way it shakes out. Mendoza may not have gaudy stats that rival some of the great Heisman Trophy seasons in recent memory, but he checked every box, between the numbers, consistency, winning, eye test and clutch moments.
The numbers checked out. Mendoza was not a high-volume passer, finishing with fewer passing yards than Sayin and Pavia, but that was more the result of Indiana's gameplan and tendency to jump out to sizable leads. Mendoza's 9.4 yards per attempt led all Power Four starting quarterbacks, and his 33 touchdown passes led all FBS quarterbacks, all while tossing only six interceptions and completing more than 71 percent of pass attempts. Mendoza also had six rushing touchdowns that Sayin didn't.
Voters can't just blindly follow the numbers. Did Mendoza pass the eye test? How much was he a product of his situation? By all estimations, Mendoza passed the eye test. He flashed remarkable accuracy all season long, showed a willingness to throw downfield and do it well and consistently delivered in the biggest moments.
Mendoza's win-sealing pass to Charlie Becker in the Big Ten championship was labeled as his "Heisman moment," but the real moment likely came against Penn State, when he hit Omar Cooper Jr. for an unbelievable go-ahead touchdown in the final minute to keep the Hoosiers' unbeaten season alive. While Sayin's stats rivaled Mendoza's, you would be hard-pressed to find a moment like that, even if Ohio State's dominance was partly the reason.
The Heisman Trophy shouldn't automatically go to the best player on the best team. In recent years, it hasn't — Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Travis Hunter all won the award after losing multiple games. Pavia had a chance, too, but quiet performances against Missouri, Alabama and LSU were tough to overcome without a College Football Playoff appearance to his name.
Mendoza didn't win the Heisman because he and Indiana beat Ohio State, but outdueling Sayin head-to-head confirmed for many voters that Mendoza had checked every box needed to be checked to claim the most prestigious honor in college football.
MORE:Heisman Trophy winners by year
Fernando Mendoza stats vs. Heisman finalist QBs
Here is a look at how Mendoza's stats compared to Pavia and Sayin this season. Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love was also a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
| Player | Fernando Mendoza | Diego Pavia | Julian Sayin |
| Games | 13 | 12 | 13 |
| Record | 13-0 | 10-2 | 12-1 |
| Comp. rate | 71.5 | 71.2 | 78.4 |
| Pass yards | 2,980 | 3,192 | 3,323 |
| Pass TD | 33 | 27 | 31 |
| Interceptions | 6 | 8 | 6 |
| Rushing attempts | 69 | 152 | 37 |
| Rushing yards | 240 | 826 | -2 |
| Rushing TDs | 6 | 9 | 0 |
MORE: The full 2025 College Football Playoff bracket, final rankings
Indiana Heisman Trophy winners
| Year | Player | Position |
| 2025 | Fernando Mendoza | QB |
Mendoza made history as the first player in Indiana history to win the Heisman Trophy, adding another layer onto the best season the program has ever had.
Category: General Sports
