Indiana earns first national championship, completing perfect season

The Hoosiers completed one of college football’s most improbable rises with a signature performance in the College Football Playoff National Championship against Miami.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — No. 1 Indiana used a legendary run from Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza to defeat No. 10 Miami 27-21 and capture the first national championship in program history.

The Hoosiers faced fourth-and-5 in the fourth quarter deep in Miami territory. After initially sending out the kicking unit, coach Curt Cignetti called a timeout and sent the offense back onto the field. Indiana dialed up a quarterback draw for Mendoza, who bounced off multiple defenders before leaping into the end zone for an improbable touchdown.

Miami answered with a late surge, cutting the lead to three behind strong contributions from running back Mark Fletcher Jr. and receiver Malachi Toney, the latter breaking tackles for a 22-yard touchdown. But Indiana’s offense kept responding.

Mendoza connected with Omar Cooper Jr. for 14 yards on third down before hitting Charlie Becker on a 19-yard third-down pass. The Hoosiers chewed up the clock and drove for a field goal to extend the lead to six points.

Miami had one final chance with 1:47 remaining. A roughing-the-passer penalty helped erase two incompletions, but quarterback Carson Beck threw an interception to Jamari Sharpe with 44 seconds left, allowing Indiana to run out the clock and secure its historic victory.

Thank you CBS SPORTS and Shehan Jeyarajah & Brandon Marcello. Get the latest from CBS News at the top of every hour right here on WIMS. Thank you IU FACEBOOK pagefor the picture.  #wims