Fernando Mendoza builds Heisman momentum
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Carlos Leon-Trejo, Contributor
- October 19, 2025
Fernando Mendoza is Latino College Football Player of the Week
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza put another exclamation point on his Heisman Trophy campaign, prompting Hoosiers fans to serenade him with “Heisman” chants. The Cal transfer threw four touchdown passes to lead Indiana over Michigan State 38-13, helping the undefeated Hoosiers move to No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
“I would say this is the sharpest we’ve seen (Mendoza) up to this point in a game,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said. “But he continues to improve. He continues to prepare like nobody I’ve ever been around. And he’s getting better and better.”
The Miami native completed 24 of 28 pass attempts for a season-high 332 yards. He also ran for 18 yards on five carries. Fernando Mendoza has thrown for 1,755 yards while completing 133 of 181 pass attempts.
Moreover, he has thrown 21 touchdown passes while throwing only two interceptions this season. He has also rushed for one touchdown while earning Our Esquina Player of the Week honors for Week 8 of the college football season.
‘Heisman’ chants for Fernando Mendoza
“He’s smart,” Cignetti said of Mendoza. “He understands how to play quarterback. Before you win any game, you’ve got to make sure you don’t lose it, right? He protects the ball (and) he checks it down when it’s not there.
“He knows when he can take a sack, when he can’t take a sack, and he’s accurate. And he’s making good reads.”
At one point, the crowd began to chant “Heisman!”
“I did hear (the Heisman chants) on the field,” he said. “First of all, I want to give a shoutout to the student section actually sticking through the rain and the shirtless towel-waving. I want to give a shoutout to them because that was fantastic to see them.
“All the players on the sideline were hyped about it. It got myself juiced, it got the offense juiced, and it got the team juiced. So quick shoutout to the student section for waving the towels in the rain.”
Here’s how other Latinos performed in Week 8 of the college football season.
Diego Pavia strikes Heisman pose
Diego Pavia promised more upsets in 2025, and he has delivered. He guided Vanderbilt to an upset over LSU. He tormented the Tigers with his legs and arm.
Pavia completed 14 of 22 passes for 160 yards and one touchdown: He also ran for 86 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. Along the way, he also struck the iconic Heisman pose. LSU kicker Damian Ramos made 3 of 4 field goal attempts with a long of 48 yards in the loss. He missed a 52-yard field goal.
Receiver KC Concepcion helped Texas A&M win a shootout in Arkansas to improve to 7-0 for the first time since 1994. The junior transfer had five catches for 53 yards and a touchdown. He also had a key 16-yard rush in the 45-42 victory.
Texas A&M freshman defensive lineman Marco Jones had a career-high three tackles and his second career sack, the first in SEC play. Georgia safety Joenel Aguero had six tackles (four solo) to help the Bulldogs hand then-No. 5 Ole Miss its first loss of the season.
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Kentucky tight end Willie Rodriguez had three catches for 32 yards in a 16-13 overtime loss against Texas. Alabama tight end Josh Cuevas made three catches for 33 yards in a 37-20 victory over Tennessee. Volunteer quarterback Joey Aguilar completed 28 of 44 pass attempts for 268 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the loss.
Long INT return for Kavir Bains-Marquez
Pitt senior defensive back Kavir Bains-Marquez returned his first interception of the season for 57 yards. He also had five tackles to help Pitt beat Syracuse 30-13. Jahsiah Galvan had 10 tackles (six solo) to help Stanford beat Florida State 20-13. Wilfredo Aybar added two tackles in the victory.
Auburn linebacker Elijah Melendez had two tackles (one solo) to help beat Missouri 23-17 in double overtime. Logan Loya had a seven-yard catch to help Minnesota beat Nebraska 24-6.
Penn State receiver Trebor Pena had three catches for 19 yards in a 25-24 loss against Iowa. He also had a nine-yard run. Safety Peyton Woodyard had four tackles (one solo) to help Oregon crush Rutgers 56-10. Miami linebacker Raul Aguirre Jr. had one tackle in a 24-21 upset loss against Louisville.
FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos completed half of his 28 passes while throwing for 242 yards. He also ran for 33 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries in the loss.
North Carolina quarterback Gio Lopez completed 19 of 35 passes for 167 yards in a 21-18 loss against Cal. He also rushed for 11 yards in five carries in the loss.
Utah State backup quarterback Anthony Garcia did a little bit of everything in a 30-25 victory over San Jose State. He had three catches for 121 yards and one touchdown. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound sophomore added a five-yard pass and a 10-yard pass for Utah State. Gabriel Iñiguez added three tackles in the victory.
Zedekiah Rodriguez-Brown had one interception and three tackles for New Mexico State in a 30-27 loss against Liberty. Florida International’s Jackson Verdugo had three catches for 13 yards and one touchdown in the 25-6 victory over Western Kentucky.
Caleb Sanchez goes off
Columbia sophomore quarterback Caleb Sanchez threw for a career-high 311 yards and two touchdowns. He completed 27 of 47 pass attempts in a 35-21 loss against Penn.
Ricardo Lagares Jr. had a 21-yard run to help Cornell beat Bucknell 30-20. The sophomore running back also had a seven-yard catch in the victory.
University of Houston’s kicker Ethan Sanchez made one of two field goal attempts with a long of 41 yards in the Cougar’s 31-28 victory against Arizona. It was Sanchez’s second walk-off field goal of the season. Arizona’s kicker Michael Salgado-Medina was 4 for 4 in extra point conversions in the Wildcats’ loss against the Cougars.
Arizona State receiver Derek Eusebio had two catches for six yards in the Sun Devils’ 26-22 victory over Texas Tech. Arizona State’s kicker Jesus Gomez made 4 of 4 field goal attempts with the longest of 47-yards.
Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez finished the game with 12 tackles (seven solo) and two forced fumbles in the Red Raiders’ first loss.
UTSA wide receiver David Amador II had one reception for 12 yards in the Roadrunners’ 17-55 loss against North Texas. Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro rushed for 43 yards and one touchdown in a 48-21 win over NIU. He also completed 17 of 23 pass attempts for 205 yards and one interception.
Kent State defensive back Joel Cordoba recorded five tackles in a 45-10 loss against Toledo. Running back Gavin Garcia rushed for 14 yards, and defensive lineman Josue Cordoba had one tackle for Kent State in the loss. Eastern Michigan defensive lineman Hector Gonzalez had one tackle in a 44-30 loss to Miami of Ohio.
Angel Flores torments Bowling Green
Central Michigan quarterback Angel Flores rushed for 72 yards and reached the end zone three times for in a 27-6 win over Bowling Green. Flores is Central Michigan’s leading rusher with 456 yards and seven touchdowns through eight weeks.
Texas State kicker Tyler Robles went 3 for 3 on field goals and 4 for 4 on extra points in a 37-40 loss to Marshall. Wide receiver Jaylin Sanchez helped James Madison extend its win streak to five games. He caught one pass for 16 yards in a 63-27 win against Old Dominion.
San Jose State running back Steve Chavez-Soto had a career-high 102 rushing yards and one 66-yard touchdown on 11 carries. He also had a 17-yard catch.
UNLV kicker Ramon Villela made a 38-yard field as Boise State handed the Running Rebels their first loss of the season. Alexander Perez had five tackles (three solo) to help Air Force beat Wyoming 24-21. Gabriel Lopez had two tackles to help New Mexico beat Nevada 24-22.
UL Monroe quarterback Aidan Armenta threw for 171 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in a 14-37 loss to Troy. Sophomore wide receiver Nic Trujillo caught Armenta’s only touchdown pass, finishing with four catches and 25 yards.
Carlos Leon-Trejo
Contributor
Carlos Leon-Trejo is a co-host on the Bring on the Blitz! podcast on the Our Esquina network. A graduate of the University of Houston-Victoria, Leon-Trejo teaches fifth grade math and science in Houston ISD.
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