Hoosiers practice in Miami ahead of National Championship

MIAMI, Fla. -- Undefeated Indiana is in Miami ahead of the program’s first ever National Championship appearance.

On Saturday, the Hoosiers participated in the College Football Playoff Media Day where hundreds of reporters lined up to speak with quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

The Heisman trophy winner was raised in Dade County, and said he felt all of the emotions as he stepped off the plane back into his hometown, “kind of like a full circle moment for me. But it also means a lot to my team, and also everybody in Hoosier nation…But in reality, I do it for my teammates and my coaches, because the national championship, it's the big one.”

Head coach Curt Cignetti said he believes that Mendoza is playing at an even higher level than he did when he was voted as the Heisman trophy winner. Cignetti added, “You gotta play with discipline, and you gotta play with poise, and you gotta play with confidence and consistency and have day in day out consistency to a high standard and expectation. And that's what these group of guys have done to this point, but you know, there's a lot to be done yet.”

Mendoza has thrown eight touchdowns in the postseason, to his five incompletions. On Monday night, Mendoza will face one of the toughest defensive fronts he’s ever seen in his collegiate career. Miami pass rush racked up 24 pressures on Ole Miss in the CFP Semifinal game.