Bloomington, Ind. — For much of the first half on Saturday, Indiana looked unusually out of sync. But when the Hoosiers reached the locker room, head coach Curt Cignetti didn’t raise his voice or overhaul the game plan. Instead, he delivered a calm, steady reminder to breathe, reset, and play their brand of football.
His players responded exactly the way they have all season.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza turned in another Heisman-worthy performance, completing 22 of 24 passes (91.7%) for 299 yards and four touchdowns — three of them after halftime — as No. 2 Indiana surged past Wisconsin 31–7. The victory secured the first 11–0 start in school history and pushed the Hoosiers within one win of clinching both a Big Ten title game berth and a likely second straight College Football Playoff appearance.
“I didn’t rant, I didn’t snort,” Cignetti said after notching his 15th consecutive home win, the longest streak Indiana has ever produced. “I told them to relax and have fun. And we came out in the second half and played really good football.”
No one embodied that shift better than Mendoza. Despite being sacked a season-high five times and briefly visiting the medical tent, the junior returned to break the program’s single-season touchdown record with a 5-yard strike to Omar Cooper Jr. in the fourth quarter — the same duo that stunned Penn State a week earlier.
The Hoosiers (11–0, 8–0 Big Ten, No. 2 CFP) have now matched last year’s squad for the most wins in a season.
Wisconsin Falters After Halftime
Wisconsin (3–7, 1–6) faced yet another ranked opponent and couldn’t keep pace. True freshman quarterback Carter Smith became the first first-year player to start for the Badgers since 1991, finishing 9 of 15 for 98 yards. He delivered Wisconsin’s lone highlight with a 45-yard touchdown to Lance Mason, but turnovers and an offense that mustered only 23 yards after halftime doomed the upset bid.
“They made the explosive plays down the field — we didn’t,” head coach Luke Fickell said. “That’s the ballgame. You can’t beat a team this good without hitting some shots.”
Indiana broke a 7–7 tie late in the second quarter with a 37-yard field goal, then took command immediately after the break. Mendoza found tight end Holden Staes for a 2-yard touchdown to open the third quarter. Following a fumble by Smith, Mendoza needed just one play to hit former Badger Riley Nowakowski for a 21-yard score. The Hoosiers later put the game away with Mendoza’s record-breaking touchdown to Cooper.
“This means we’ve now won more games than last year, when we were 10–0,” Cignetti said. “And even one more than what this staff did before we came here.”
Injury Update
Wisconsin running back Gideon Ituka left the field on a cart in the third quarter after taking two heavy hits on the same play and landing awkwardly on his head. He flashed a thumbs-up as he exited, and team officials later said early signs were encouraging, with feeling in all extremities. No further update was provided.
The Takeaway
Wisconsin: Competed hard early but lacked the depth, consistency, and firepower needed to hang with a top-tier opponent for four quarters.
Indiana: Cignetti continues to push every right button. The Hoosiers didn’t panic after an uneven first half and dominated the final 30 minutes — a hallmark of championship-caliber teams.
Up Next:
Wisconsin: Hosts rival Indiana on Nov. 22.
Indiana: Gets a bye week before traveling to Purdue on Nov. 28, with a perfect regular season on the line.
