Fernando Mendoza sure has dreamt for and worked for a spot in the National Championship. While the quarterback knows football like the back of his hand, playing in a game so tense and defining will be a first for him. However, he’s got some advice on how to navigate the pressure of the game, despite it coming from the side that felt short.

According to Holly Rowe, Mendoza reached out to former Fighting Irish QB Riley Leonard. The Heisman-winning QB had a very simple yet impactful question for Leonard: “How to deal with the emotions of the national championship game?”

The Notre Dame quarterback has been here before, and gave a sensational performance. He threw for 255 yards, went 22-of-31 on passes, and scored two touchdowns without getting picked. Not only that, but Leonard impressed with his rushing skills, adding 40 yards and a score on the ground. Unfortunately, that game was his to lose.

The stinging heartbreak that Leonard went through is something that Mendoza can also be subjected to. The taste of winning the National Championship is also one of a kind. Given how important this game is, Mendoza needs to manage these emotions well to focus on winning the National Championship.

This is it for the star Indiana QB; there aren’t any more college games to look forward to if he loses this one. He and his team of misfits have continuously proven every skeptic wrong and have charged through the season unbeaten. The stakes are higher for Mendoza than they were for Leonard. A loss in the National Championship game would also mean an unfortunate end to the Hoosiers’ valiant efforts all year long.

On paper, Indiana and Fernando Mendoza don’t have much to worry about. The QB is better than Miami’s Carson Beck in this matchup, the Indiana offense is electric, and the defense is strong. However, the only way that Miami gets to give him a headache is if the Hurricane defense ups its standards and becomes even more dangerous than it already is. Mendoza better watch out for the sacking machines in DLs Rueben Bain Jr. and Ahkeem Mesidor.

Fernando Mendoza and Riley Leonard have never crossed paths in college football. That’s why the Indiana QB contacting the latter seems a little out of place. But a comment made by a former Notre Dame and current Indiana player proves that these two have a lot more in common than we know.

Pat Coogan finds similarities between Riley Leonard and Fernando Mendoza

The two QBs are enitrely different from each other, but Mendoza still channels a little bit of Riley Leonard in his mindset. Former Irish and current Hoosiers’ star OL Pat Coogan thought so, having experienced both leaderships.

“I see gamers. That’s a great compliment you can give someone – that they’re gamers. They know how to get the job done, no matter the circumstances.”

Coogan said this all the way back in spring camp, but it is something that becomes relevant now after Mendoza reached out to Leonard. The Hoosiers QB has weirdly mirrored Leonard’s journey to the National Championship – nobody would understand Mendoza’s perspective better than the former Irish QB. Fernando Mendoza will suit up for his last-ever college football game, just like Leonard did when he played the 2024 National Championship. And, the former also had to hit the transfer portal to find a Championship-worthy home before the season, exactly like Riley Leonard did when he transferred out of Duke.

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Riley Leonard and Notre Dame lost one game in the regular season before coming to the National Championship. But like Indiana, the Fighting Irish also rolled out a really powerful offense, with an average score that is nearly the same as IU’s. Leonard’s journey to the Natty was marred by one drop, but otherwise, he was on the same track that Mendoza is on at the moment. But the aftermath is something that Mendoza is yet to experience. The star QB has never been on the losing side this season, and might meet the worst kind against Miami.

Then again, this is Fernando Mendoza, after all. As Pat Coogan said, the quarterback has taken Indiana out of tricky situations to lead them to this final stage. Mendoza has rarely let the negatives impact the game this year, and can avoid being in Riley Leonard’s tough position if he does the same against Miami.