Fernando Mendoza is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, according to most sportsbooks, thanks to his impressive play this season, which has helped Indiana maintain a perfect 12-0 record. However, their regular-season-ending game against Purdue puts a black mark on his Heisman campaign. As experts say, it isn’t a Heisman contender-level performance.

“Fernando Mendoza is not throwing like a Heisman contender (42 yards), but IU is running hard (127) in building a 21-3 2nd quarter lead,” wrote Purdue editor Tom Dienhart. “This one could slip away very quickly now.”

Mendoza’s passing was remarkably ineffective in the second quarter against Purdue, where he completed just 5 of 12 attempts for 42 yards. That’s not expected from a Heisman frontrunner, and one poor performance can shake up hi

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