Indiana wins college football national championship in thriller over Miami

For the archetypal clip successful programme history, the Indiana Hoosiers are assemblage shot nationalist champions. 

The Hoosiers took down the Miami Hurricanes, 27-21, successful an implicit thriller to implicit their undefeated play nether caput manager Curt Cignetti.

The Hoosiers’ defence was making things hard for Carson Beck and institution from the precise commencement of this game. In fact, the Hurricanes’ discourtesy didn’t person a archetypal down until their last thrust of the archetypal half.

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Indiana backmost Fernando Mendoza passes against Miami during the archetypal fractional of the College Football Playoff nationalist title game, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, successful Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Meanwhile, Miami was doing good to incorporate the explosiveness of Indiana’s offense, holding them to conscionable a tract extremity successful the archetypal quarter.

Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy victor this season, led a methodical, 14-play thrust that went 85 yards wherever a third-and-goal play from the one-yard enactment resulted successful Riley Nowakowski scoring the archetypal touchdown of the game.

Nowakowski had lone 1 different unreserved effort each season, but the play telephone was cleanable for the Hoosiers arsenic they took a 10-0 lead.

TRUMP ARRIVES AT INDIANA-MIAMI COLLEGE FOOTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Miami was connected the hunt to astatine slightest enactment a tract extremity up earlier half, and they had the accidental erstwhile they recovered themselves connected the Indiana 32-yard enactment connected fourth-and-2. Carter Davis had a accidental astatine a 50-yard tract extremity attempt, but it deed the upright and ended up nary good.

Despite the pseudo-home-field vantage — Miami plays their location games astatine Hard Rock Stadium — they were near scoreless astatine halftime.

But the 2nd fractional provided much fireworks from some teams, and it came from the legs of Mark Fletcher Jr.

The Miami moving backmost recovered a crease, and helium took it 57 yards to the location to liven up not lone the Hurricanes’ sideline, but each their fans successful the stands.

The 10-7 shot crippled made things much absorbing for Indiana, who hadn’t felt this benignant of momentum successful the game. But it wasn’t the discourtesy getting the occupation done — it was peculiar teams.

After forcing a three-and-out, the Hoosiers got done the enactment of scrimmage connected a punt effort from the Hurricanes, and it was blocked close adjacent the extremity line. Linebacker Isaiah Jones made definite to corral the escaped ball, and his efforts made it 17-7 with 5:04 near successful the 3rd quarter.

But Miami had the close response, arsenic this back-and-forth connected the scoreboard made the crippled overmuch much suspenseful.

Fletcher recovered the extremity portion erstwhile more, capping disconnected a 10-play, 81-yard thrust astatine the precise commencement of the 4th quarter.

A cardinal infinitesimal successful this game, though, came connected the ensuing thrust arsenic caput manager Curt Cignetti decided to spell for it doubly connected 4th down, including fourth-and-5 from Miami’s 12-yard line. The play call? Leave it successful the hands of the Heisman winner.

Mendoza had a delayed gully and not lone took it crossed the enactment to gain, but helium fought disconnected aggregate tackles and launched himself crossed the extremity enactment for a hard-fought, 12-yard touchdown tally for yet different 10-point lead, 24-14.

But, yes, you guessed it: Miami answered. This was the Malachi Toney drive, arsenic the 18-year-old existent freshman had a 41-yard catch-and-run, and finished disconnected a speedy thrust for the Hurricanes with a 22-yard tally into the extremity zone.

The Hurricanes maintained their choky pursuit of the Hoosiers, but Mendoza and Indiana's discourtesy knew they had the accidental to seal their nationalist rubric with different methodical drive, picking up archetypal downs oregon adjacent scoring a touchdown for the knockout punch. 

Charlie Becker, who was Mendoza's trusty people each nighttime long, had a important back-shoulder drawback connected third-and-7 to support the thrust alive. But the Hoosiers committed a important mendacious commencement connected second-and-1 successful the reddish zone, which moved them backmost and yet led to a captious Hurricanes stop. 

After the Hoosiers secured their 3 points, Beck and Miami had the accidental to spell downfield and triumph the game. A roughing the passer punishment helped Miami, who would've been facing third-and-15 from their ain 20-yard enactment had the emblem not been thrown.

Beck moved the shot crossed midfield, but helium committed a brutal blunder, underthrowing a walk that Jamari Sharpe work perfectly. Sharpe secured the interception, and with 44 seconds near and nary Miami timeouts, helium secured the nationalist title.

Fernando Mendoza of the Indiana Hoosiers celebrates a 4th fourth touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes successful the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship astatine Hard Rock Stadium connected Jan. 19, 2026 successful Miami Gardens, Florida.  (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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In the container score, Mendoza was 16-of-27 for 186 yards and his rushing score, with Omar Cooper Jr. starring the Hoosiers with 71 yards connected 5 catches. Becker had 4 grabs for 65 yards, portion Kaelon Black acceptable the code connected the crushed with 79 yards connected 17 carries. Roman Hemby besides had 19 carries for 60 yards.

For Miami, Beck was 19-of-32 for 232 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Toney finished the crippled with 10 catches for 122 yards and his core, portion Fletcher rushed for 112 yards connected 17 carries.

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