Sports

Miami Defense Lost The Play Call When Indiana Copied Notre Dame To Win National Championship

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Miami Defense Play Call Signal Indiana Mendoza Quarterback Draw
© Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Indiana used the exact same play call as Notre Dame to defeat Miami during the College Football Playoff National Championship. Fernando Mendoza score the game-winning touchdown against the Hurricanes on a quarterback draw because the defense did not know what to do.

Corey Hetherman probably should’ve called a timeout.

The lack of proper play call ultimately proved to be the difference between a win and a loss. The entire college football season came full circle in that moment.

Notre Dame torched Miami with a quarterback draw.

The Hurricanes were the last team in the field of 12. They jumped the Fighting Irish to make the College Football Playoff as the No. 10 seed because of the head-to-head matchup in the first week of the season.

Miami defeated Notre Dame by three points, 27-24, on Aug. 31, 2025.

CJ Carr scored a touchdown to the tie the game with three minutes and 21 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. He did so on 2nd-and-goal.

The starting quarterback for the Fighting Irish set up in the shotgun, took one step back as if he was going to pass, and took off up the middle on a designed draw. The defense did not account for the quarterback run.

Fast forward to Monday night.

Indiana ran a designed quarterback draw on 4th-and-5 inside the red zone with less than 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter of a three-point game. Fernando Mendoza kept his legs moving, absorbed multiple hits, some how managed to stay on his feet and extended the ball across the goal line. Touchdown!

If the play call looks familiar, it’s because it is. The Hoosiers drew inspiration from the quarterback draw that tied the game between Miami and Notre Dame more than four months ago. It worked. They won.

The Hurricanes were completely lost on defense.

Not only did Indiana use a play that it new would work, it got some help. Miami defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman revealed after the game that his unit did not know what to do.

Curt Cignetti initially sent his field goal unit onto the field prior to fourth down. He changed his mind, called a timeout and called upon his Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.

The Hurricanes, coming out of a timeout, did not get the call to the field.

“I probably should have called a timeout there,” Hetherman said. “We knew that play was coming open. Four (receivers) open, fourth and medium, that’s been their go-to play out of that formation all year. We just got to execute that. I could see the signal wasn’t getting there. We had [the call in to the defensive player with in-helmet communication], I could see Wes [Bissainthe] trying to make the communication, the 3-technique got it, we didn’t get it to the defensive end. We knew what play it was, it wasn’t a secret.”

If you watch the play again, you might notice two specific things. Watch the linebacker before the snap. He looks completely lost. And watch Reuben Bain. He was likely supposed to loop inside.

Not only did Indiana draw inspiration from a successful play call by Notre Dame, it had help from the confused Miami defense. Hetherman did not call a timeout. Mendoza won the game.