Curt Cignetti Calls Out Referees in the Middle of CFP National Championship Game

Although Indiana entered halftime of Monday’s College Football Playoff national championship game with a 10-0 lead, Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti still was not happy.

As his 15-0 Hoosiers look to finish the job and bring the school its first ever national title, Cignetti took aim at the game’s officiating at halftime. Heisman Trophy winner and Indiana’s star quarterback Fernando Mendoza took an uncalled hit which bloodied his lip in the opening quarter, and his coach made his frustrations clear when given the opportunity heading into the locker room at halftime.

“Well there’s three personal fouls on the quarterback not called in one drive that need to be called, because they’re obvious personal fouls,” Cignetti said in a brief interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe. “I’m all for letting them play, but when you cross the line, you’ve got to call them. They were black and white calls.”

Indiana HC Curt Cignetti said that there were three "black and white" missed personal fouls in the first half.

More from Coach Cignetti: https://t.co/hKua6MpNhy pic.twitter.com/FazhOPyiGk
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) January 20, 2026

Mendoza was hit late at least twice in the first quarter, with one hit deemed as an uncalled targeting flag by ESPN’s commentators. That came during Indiana’s first scoring drive of the day, but the Hoosiers were forced to settle for a field goal after entering the red zone.

Fernando Mendoza took a hit on this play 😳 pic.twitter.com/phaZoT2X92
— ESPN (@espn) January 20, 2026

Defense was the story of the first half, with Miami clearly trying to lay it on Mendoza at every opportunity. Indiana was able to find the end zone for the only touchdown of the first half during the second quarter on a one-yard run from tight end Riley Nowakowski, who was in at fullback.

The Hurricanes were held scoreless in the first 30 minutes despite an opportunity to get on the board with a 50-yard field goal attempt from kicker Carter Davis just before the break that doinked loudly off the right upright.

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