STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA – NOVEMBER 8: Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers reacts after the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium on November 8, 2025 in State College, Pennsylvania. The Indiana Hoosiers defeat Penn State Nittany Lions, 27-24. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
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In the bowels of Beaver Stadium, after 105,000 witnessed a nailbiter that was Indiana’s first victory at the storied venue in 14 attempts, Hoosiers’ quarterback Fernando Mendoza stated, “This is by far the best moment of my career.”
While a game-winning drive that was capped by a seven-yard connection to Omar Cooper, Jr. will live on in IU history like no single play ever before – let’s not forget tight end Charlie Becker’s 17-yard catch that set it up – the hope in Bloomington is Mendoza may have another career moment or two before this 2025 season is in the books.
Mendoza’s Heisman moment kept the Hoosiers’ perfect on the season (10-0/7-0 Big Ten) and has the Cal transfer firmly atop the list of favorites for the prestigious trophy. At least for now.
Should Mendoza, whose 26 touchdown passes are tied for the nation’s lead while placing second in pass efficiency, hoist the Heisman in New York on December 13, he would be the first such winner in Indiana history.
From highest to lowest, here is a look at how the Hoosiers have fared in Heisman voting since the hardware was first awarded in 1935.
Anthony Thompson, Second, 1989
Indiana’s all-time leading rusher finished second to Houston’s Andre Ware by all of 70 points. Thompson led the nation in rushing yards (1,793), carries (358) and rushing touchdowns (24). He also caught 35 passes for 201 yards and a TD to give him 25 total touchdowns, which also led the nation. No game was more memorable than a November afternoon at Wisconsin when Thompson ran for what was an NCAA record 377 yards (now tied for eighth) on a mind-boggling 52 attempts, which is a school record and fourth-most in Big Ten annals. Bill Mallory’s Hoosiers won, 45-17, to improve to 5-4 before losing their final two games.
Bill Hillenbrand, Fifth, 1942
The halfback completed 50 passes for 901 yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing for 498 yards in finishing fifth behind Georgia’s Frank Sinkwich, and just ahead of Notre Dame’s Angelo Bertelli. Hillenbrand is IU’s all-time leader in punt return yardage.
Antwaan Randle El, Sixth, 2001
The quarterback did a little bit of everything for coach Cam Cameron during a 5-6 season. Randle El threw for 1,664 yards and nine touchdowns, ran for 964 yards and eight scores, returned eight punts for an average of 30 yards, and had four receptions. Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch won the award in a year that the top six in voting were quarterbacks.
Vaughn Dunbar, Sixth, 1991
In his second of two seasons at IU after arriving from a JUCO in Oklahoma, the running back placed sixth in voting behind winner Desmond Howard of Michigan. Dunbar’s 1,805 rushing yards are second all-time in a single season at Indiana, and his 364 attempts represent a school record.
Tevin Coleman, Seventh, 2014
If it is possible for a 300-yard rushing game to get lost in the shuffle, Coleman’s effort at Rutgers in November would apply. Not only did the Hoosiers get thumped pretty good (45-23) by the Scarlett Knights, but Coleman’s 307-yard effort was not good enough to win Big Ten player of the week honors. That’s because Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon set what was an FBS record with 408 yards rushing the same afternoon. On the season, Coleman ran for a school-record 2,036 yards, averaged 7.5 per tote and scored 15 touchdowns for a four-win team coached by Kevin Wilson. Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota won the Heisman.
Anthony Thompson, Eighth, 1988
The numbers Thompson posted as a junior were nearly identical to that of his senior when he finished second in voting. He ran for 1,686 yards to set the school mark that he broke in 1989, and he ran for what remains a school record 26 touchdowns. The Hoosiers went 8-3-1 under Bill Mallory, including a Liberty Bowl win over South Carolina, and finished No. 20 in AP. Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders won the Heisman.
Kurtis Rourke, Ninth, 2024
The face of the program a year ago after transferring from Ohio to run Curt Cignetti’s offense, Rourke was second nationally in pass efficiency while throwing for a school-record 29 touchdowns with only five interceptions. He helped lead the Hoosiers to their first double-digit win season (11) and a berth in the College Football Playoff.