The Mendoza brothers made history as Indiana football concluded its non-conference schedule with a 73-0 victory over Indiana State at Memorial Stadium on Friday night.
The Hoosiers are 3-0, having outscored Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, and Indiana State by a combined 156-23. They now prepare for a Sept. 20 Big Ten primetime matchup against No. 9 Illinois in Bloomington.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza and his younger brother Alberto grew up in Miami sharing the field, and the family had a big night again. Last week, they became the first brothers in the past 10 years to throw for a touchdown in the same game.
On Friday, they became the first siblings to throw touchdowns in back-to-back games, celebrating each other's success on the sideline.
Fernando set the tone early, leading the Hoosiers to a dominant first half. He finished with five touchdown passes — all in the first half — and 270 yards passing. He completed all but one of his 20 attempts.
Alberto took over in the second half. He threw for 104 yards and two touchdowns.
Quarterback Grant Wilson also played, but the spotlight belonged to the Mendoza brothers.
Receiver Omar Cooper Jr. recorded 10 receptions for 207 yards and four touchdowns, tying James Hardy’s 2006 record for most touchdown catches in a single game by a Hoosier.
On defense, IU smothered the Sycamores, surrendering only 77 total yards and five first downs. The Hoosiers notched 16 tackles for loss and five sacks, with defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker describing it simply: “We were in control at the line all night.”
The run game also continued its streak of dominance. Khobie Martin came off the bench to post 109 yards and two scores, helping Indiana eclipse 300 rushing yards for the third consecutive outing.
Coach Curt Cignetti praised the effort but emphasized the need for urgency and mental intensity.
"We wanted to play one play at a time, like it was the game on the line, regardless of competitive circumstances," he said. “We just had more bullets in the gun than they did.”
