It was a blink-and-you-miss-it moment that quickly turned alarming. Fernando Mendoza was bloodied early in the first quarter of the national football championship game. He was running a read-option fake, a play in which the quarterback fakes a handoff. As Mendoza faked the handoff, he got “popped” by Miami defensive back Jakobe Thomas.

The hit was hard enough to draw blood, making it clear right away that the Miami Hurricanes were planning to be as physical as possible with the Heisman winner to throw him off his game.

Despite the bloody lip, Mendoza didn’t miss a single snap and stayed in the game to lead the No. 1-seeded Hoosiers in their first-ever appearance. Most folks assumed he would be out of the game at least for the quarter. Although the medical staff checked him briefly, Indiana’s athletic fitness coach was already stained after Mendoza’s blood spilled on it.

Even though the hit was high and clearly drew blood, the refs didn’t call targeting. Surprisingly, they didn’t even flag a personal foul on Jakobe Thomas there. Analysts questioned the refs’ credibility as fans went haywire. It got social media communities talking about the lack of protection for the Heisman winner.

Truth be told, this guy has basically become the “Iron Man” of college football this season, constantly getting banged up and just keeping on, time and time again. Frankly, it’s just another Monday for the Heisman winner.

Just a few weeks back in the Big Ten Championship, he took a brutal hit to the shoulder on the very first play. He had to sit out for a second. Later, he also dealt with some “turf burn” and minor bruises throughout the regular season. Despite all hits and burns, Mendoza remarkably never missed a start this season.

Leading up to this championship game, there was actually a huge fake rumor going around on social media that he had broken an ankle in practice. Some posts even claimed he was out for the season. However, that was totally debunked as soon as he stepped onto the field for warmups. The lip cut was just the latest minor hurdle in what’s been a legendary season for him.

Notably, Fernando Mendoza has a lot of eyes on him. Seeing him play through a bloody face only added to his reputation as one of the toughest players in the country. If not, the toughest.

No wonder he’s considered the heart and soul of this Indiana team.

Fernando Mendoza Mendoza makes a comeback with a touchdown drive

The Indiana Hoosiers finally broke a scoreless tie in the second quarter with a much-needed touchdown to go up 10-0 against Miami. It was a grueling 85-yard march that took nearly seven minutes off the clock. It was totally wearing down the Hurricanes’ defense.

The actual score was a classic “blue-collar” play. With 6:13 left in the half, Indiana handed the ball to tight end Riley Nowakowski. The tight end lined up in the backfield to power his way in for a 1-yard touchdown run.

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It capped off a 14-play drive where Mendoza made several clutch throws. The Hoosiers are comfortably running through Mario Cristobal’s squad at Hard Rock Stadium, with Miami’s defense lacking the bite to stop Indiana’s tricky movement.

To make it worse, the Miami Hurricanes missed a field goal right before heading to the locker room at halftime. With that said, it’s going to be one gritty football game. And the game’s got a long way to go.