Indiana 27, Miami 21
-
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the favorite to be the top quarterback prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft, and the National Championship will not impact Mendoza becoming the first player drafted next April. Miami’s superb defense did a nice job of defending Mendoza and keeping him from producing a prolific game.
On his second drive, Mendoza threw a strike to Omar Cooper to get a chunk gain. Mendoza had a couple of other completions to help produce a field goal for the Hoosiers. He also had other completions to help set up a rushing touchdown late in the first half, but overall, Miami did a nice job of limiting Mendoza through two quarters as he completed 12-of-17 passes for 116 yards.
The Hurricanes’ defense shut down Mendoza in the third quarter, ramping up the pass rush on him to force some punts. At the start of the fourth quarter, Mendoza was fortunate that he didn’t throw a pick-six as he telegraphed a quick pass to the flat, and he was lucky the defender only slapped the pass away. Mendoza came back to make a back shoulder completion to Charlie Becker to convert a critical fourth-and-5 early in the fourth quarter. To cap the drive on a fourth-and-5, Mendoza took off on a draw up the middle, and he spun away from the tackle and bounced off two defenders for a 12-yard touchdown run. Mendoza connected with Becker again on a critical back shoulder throw to set up a field goal to pad their fourth quarter lead. He threw for 70 yards in the second half. Mendoza completed 16-of-27 passes for 186 yards with zero touchdowns passing, zero interceptions, and one rushing touchdown.
For the NFL, Mendoza looks like a pro starter and a franchise quarterback. Mendoza has a strong arm, a quick release, and is accurate in passing at all levels of the field. This year, he has shown improvement in his pocket presence, reading coverage, working through progressions, and manipulating the pocket with his feet. He is smart and reads the field well. Mendoza throws accurately with good timing and anticipation. This tape will help Mendoza become the No. 1 overall pick next April.
-
Miami defensive ends Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor have been superb in the college football playoffs. Bain and Mesidor ramped up a relentless pass rush to lead Miami to wins over Texas A&M and Ohio State. However, Ole Miss almost completely shut them down. Bain had some contributions as a run defender, but he was a non-factor as a pass rusher. Mesidor had a pressure and a nice hustle tackle in the first half, but Mesidor went out of the game for a while in the second half with an arm injury. He came back late in the fourth quarter, but was still not getting to the quarterback. Against Indiana, Bain and Mesidor came alive and were very active to help limit the Hoosiers’ high-powered offense.
On their first drive, Bain had a third-down pressure that helped force an incompletion to get his defense off the field. In the second quarter, Bain got off a block to fire into the backfield to get a tackle for a loss on a stretch run. He added another tackle in the ground game after going unblocked, and he flowed down the line to get a stop. In the third quarter, Bain used a rip move to get leverage on the left tackle, and he chased down Mendoza for a sack. Early in the fourth quarter, Bain came unblocked on a busted blocking assignment to get a half sack with Mesidor.
After being quiet in the first half, Mesidor used speed to get upfield, slapped the hands away from the left tackle, and then looped to the inside to hunt down Mendoza for a sack. Midway through the third quarter, Mesidor used a slap move to break off the hands of the right tackle and then used speed to close on Mendoza for a sack.
For the NFL, Bain looks like a prospect for the middle of the first round. He is strong and quick at the point of attack. Bain shows a nice ability to shed and scrap with offensive linemen. On top of his functional strength, Bain has some speed to close, and he plays hard. Bain has an excellent motor, and he gets some sacks based on his effort. However, Bain is a tweener, as he lacks the height and length to be an NFL defensive end and the weight to be an NFL defensive tackle. Thus, some sources have him lower than others in the media.
Mesidor has speed off the edge and plays with good leverage. He is quick to close and shows an ability to use his hands and feet at the same time. With agility and loose hips, Mesidor can redirect and weave through traffic. Some team sources have said they think Mesidore could be a day-two pick. He has some limitations in length and his skill set for the NFL, while also being older than teams prefer.
-
Miami quarterback Carson Beck made some clutch plays to lead the Hurricanes to playoff wins over Ohio State and Ole Miss. Beck showed his power arm and some functional mobility in those wins. Some team sources feel that Beck was rising and could receive a nice jolt if he were to have a big night against Indiana. While Beck didn’t play poorly, Indiana did a nice job of limiting him. They had tight coverage, and Beck’s receivers were not getting open. Hurricanes’ running back Mark Fletcher had a couple of scores, and Beck had short passes to Malachi Toney, which turned into a 22-yard touchdown. Late in the fourth quarter, Miami was driving down by six in Indiana territory, but Beck had an underthrown pass into double coverage that was intercepted. Beck finished completing 19-of-32 passes for 232 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
For the NFL, Beck has a power arm capable of ripping up a defense. When given time, he throws accurately and can fit passes into tight windows. However, Beck can be streaky and has problems with getting rattled while playing with Georgia. Beck could be a day-two prospect that has the skill set and upside to develop into a starter.
-
Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa has played well to close out the 2025 season. Mauigoa was excellent against Texas A&M and Ohio State in the Hurricanes’ playoff wins. Mauigoa was very good at opening holes for running back Mark Fletcher and protecting quarterback Carson Beck. Against Ole Miss, Mauigoa was not as good but was solid overall. That played out similarly against Indiana. Mauigoa had a few pressures, but he avoided giving up any sacks. He was solid in the run game, getting a push and helping to open holes at the point of attack.
For the NFL, Mauigoa looks like a starting right tackle. He has quality strength at the point of attack and can generate a push in the ground game. While he is not an overwhelming bull, Mauigoa is a quality run blocker. He is also quick and agile enough to be an edge protector. Mauigoa looks capable of starting quickly as a pro. Next April, Mauigoa looks like a first-round pick.
