Does Fernando Mendoza Inspire Confidence in Raiders Fans?
- Sheehan Planas-Arteaga
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Indiana Hoosiers quarterback got it done against Miami, but Fernando Mendoza was far from perfect.
What a game, huh? The Indiana Hoosiers captured their first National Championship in football Monday night, defeating the Miami Hurricanes 27-21. It was the first one-score title game since 2017, with the average margin of victory since that game being 25.4 points. I happen to hate the Canes with all my heart, as a Florida Gator fan who’s had to live amongst them in South Florida my whole life, but I wasn’t rooting for them to be blown out. That was a hell of a football game that had something for every type of fan: power, grit, speed, grace, strategy, all of it. It also had star power, namely in the quarterback battle between Carson Beck and Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, the latter of which will very likely be drafted first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in a few months. Plus, there was the whole hometown hero storyline for Mendoza, who attended the same high school as Miami head coach Mario Cristobal. This game had it all.
I admittedly hadn’t seen much tape on Fernando Mendoza before this season. With millions of eyes on him Monday night during the biggest game of his life, do we think he played like a true no. 1 pick? Or is he the beneficiary of an extraordinarily weak QB class?
The Good
His numbers were far from gaudy against Miami, but he did not make the mistake the Canes so desperately needed as they mounted their comeback attempt. He finished 16-for-27 for 186 yards, with no touchdowns or picks. The play of the night was made with his legs, in a breathtaking 4th-and-5 QB draw with 9:18 left in the game, which resulted in a 12-yard touchdown run. That play goes into the pantheon of college football moments, without a doubt. He converted another 4th-and-5 earlier in that drive, firing a dart near the sideline to a falling Charlie Becker for a 19 yard gain. He displayed his entire arsenal during that drive: arm talent, decision-making, poise, size, and toughness.
Miami’s defense was ferocious, but Mendoza stood tall when it mattered most and never let them force a mistake. That’s good. That’s what big-time players do.
The Bad
Mendoza showed where his athleticism works last night; as a straight-line runner who can pick up extra yardage using his 6’5” frame, which will continue to fill out (he’s about 225 right now). He also showed where he lacks: agility and, perhaps, pocket presence. Miami’s defensive line is the best in the country, but Mendoza wasn’t exactly giving them a moving target as guys like Rueben Bain Jr. barreled into the backfield. Many times he simply stood there like a statue before absorbing a big hit. Did he not see it or did he simply have no chance of escaping? It’s not good either way, and these are skills that college quarterbacks generally don’t develop as they get older and start taking shots from grown men in the NFL.
Mendoza’s counter to this deficiency was to get rid of the ball at light speed, which he did for most of the game. But that makes him a one-read quarterback, which will be exploited at the next level, making it harder for him to avoid mistakes. He’ll need to refine his slipping and sliding if he’s going to lift the Raiders out of the NFL gutter.
The Answer?
Fernando Mendoza showed flashes in the National Championship, but nothing more. Granted, the flashes were spellbinding and game-changing; he has the clutch gene. But if I’m a Las Vegas Raiders fan (do they have any of those yet?), I wouldn’t be completely sold on Mendoza. A game manager is not a bad thing. You can win a Super Bowl with a game manager. But it’s not a player you choose first overall. That may be the role Fernando Mendoza ends up filling in the pros.
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