By EDDIE PELLS
MIAMI GARDENS — Fernando Mendoza bulldozed his means into the top zone and Indiana bullied its means into the historical past books Monday evening, toppling Miami 27-21 to place the final touch on a rags-to-riches story, an undefeated season and the nationwide title.
The Heisman Trophy winner completed with 186 yards passing, nevertheless it was his tackle-breaking, sprawled-out 12-yard landing run on fourth-and-4 with 9:18 left that outlined this recreation — and the Hoosiers’ season.
Indiana wouldn’t be denied.
Mendoza’s TD gave turnaround artist Curt Cignetti’s crew a 10-point lead — barely sufficient respiratory room to carry off a frenzied cost by the hard-hitting Hurricanes, who bloodied Mendoza’s lip early, then got here to life late behind 112 yards and two scores from Mark Fletcher however by no means took the lead.
The School Soccer Playoff trophy now heads to essentially the most unlikely of locations: Bloomington, Indiana — a campus that endured a nation-leading 713 losses over 130-plus years of soccer earlier than Cignetti arrived two years in the past to embark on a revival for the ages.
Indiana completed 16-0 — utilizing the additional video games afforded by the expanded 12-team playoff to match a perfect-season win complete final compiled by Yale in 1894.
In a little bit of symmetry, this undefeated title comes 50 years after Bob Knight’s basketball crew went 32-0 to win all of it in that state’s favourite sport.
Gamers like Mendoza — a switch from Cal who grew up only a few miles away from Miami’s campus, “The U” — definitely don’t come round usually.
Two fourth-down gambles by Cignetti within the fourth quarter, after Fletcher’s second landing carved the Hurricanes’ deficit to a few, put Mendoza in place to shine.
The primary was a 19-yard-completion to Charlie Becker on a back-shoulder fade these guys have been perfecting all season. 4 performs later got here a call and play that wins championships.
Cignetti despatched his kicker out on fourth-and-4 from the 12, however shortly referred to as his second timeout. The crew huddled on the sphere and the coach drew up a quarterback draw.
Mendoza, not often called a run-first man, slipped one sort out, then took a success and spun round. He stored his ft, then left them, going horizontal and stretching the ball out — a ready-made poster pic for a title run straight from the films.
