4 Takeaways From Indiana's Rose Bowl Demolition of Alabama in CFP Quarterfinal

Rose Bowl Stadium (Pasadena, Calif.) — Still undefeated, clearly No. 1 and keeping a magical season alive, the Indiana Hoosiers are moving on to the College Football Playoff semifinals after wrecking No. 9 Alabama, 38-3, in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal Thursday.

Fast, physical and relentless is the motto of Curt Cignetti and his Hoosiers. That was overwhelmingly evident in the first quarterfinal game under the 12-team CFP format where the team with the first-round bye won.

A slow start to the highly anticipated matchup led to an offensive explosion from the Hoosiers, who had a 17-0 halftime lead that they never came close to giving up. Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza put up a stunning performance after not playing since the Big Ten title game on Dec. 6, and the Crimson Tide ran out of steam early in a game where they were already out-matched.

"We're just a bunch of fighters, and we just scratch and crawl for everything," Indiana center Pat Coogan — named the Rose Bowl offensive MVP — said Tuesday at media day. "We've earned the right to be here."

The clear underdog, Alabama, fell to another disadvantage when quarterback Ty Simpson exited the game midway through the third quarter with an injury, leaving backup Austin Mack to lead a second straight 17-point comeback attempt. But Indiana was unstoppable and is off to the Peach Bowl semifinal. 

Here are four key takeaways from the Hoosiers' demolition of Alabama in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal: 

With the way he’s played all season, Mendoza was crowned the Heisman Trophy winner for a reason. But there will always be doubters, who were almost certainly silenced after watching him tear Alabama’s secondary apart. It had been 26 days since Mendoza last took the field, so maybe he simply wanted to remind everyone why he’s college football’s most outstanding player while carrying his team to the CFP semifinals.

He looked a little stiff, maybe a little nervous, at first against Alabama, which sacked him three times on Thursday, including twice on the game’s three-and-out opening drive. Despite the strong pass rush, Mendoza still found a way to connect with his receivers or take off downfield himself. 

Completing 14 of 16 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, Mendoza reminded fans that he has a knack for extending plays, especially with his legs, and might be the best on-field improviser in FBS play. He led an Indiana team that racked up 407 total yards, had no turnovers and finished with twice as many first downs (22) as Alabama (11).

Perhaps his most stunning touchdown was the first of the game — a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Charlie Becker. After the snap, Mendoza had a fairly clean pocket to work with. Still, the pass looked like it would easily sail over Becker’s head, until the receiver extended big time to give Indiana a lead it would never come close to relinquishing. 

"Every position we have is elite," Becker said at Rose Bowl media day Tuesday. "With our O-line being able to protect Fernando, and obviously Fernando [winning] the Heisman, being able to get the ball out and get it to play-making receivers like Omar Cooper, E.J. Williams, Elijah Sarratt, we just have weapons all around. … So it's hard for teams to focus on just one aspect when they have to focus on everything."

Becker led the Hoosiers receivers with 51 yards and a touchdown off just two catches.

That first touchdown was also Indiana’s first Rose Bowl touchdown ever. The Hoosiers' only other Rose Bowl appearance was in 1968, and they lost, 14-3, to USC.

Long after it was clear Indiana had an insurmountable lead over Alabama, Indiana’s Heisman winner called it a day and was replaced by his brother, quarterback Alberto Mendoza, late in the fourth.