'Fun to Watch': Colts QB Daniel Jones Touts Indiana Football's Fernando Mendoza

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — One of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones' first impressions of Indiana football quarterback Fernando Mendoza formed while the two were over 4,000 miles apart from each other.

The day before the Colts played the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin, Germany, Jones sat alongside former Penn State tight end Tyler Warren and watched Mendoza's late-game heroics to lead the No. 2 Hoosiers past the Nittany Lions on Nov. 8.

Mendoza led a 10-play, 80-yard drive in 75 seconds with no timeouts, and he capped the possession with a seven-yard touchdown pass to redshirt junior receiver Omar Cooper Jr., who made a physics-defying, highlight-reel grab in the back of the endzone.

OMAR COOPER UNREAL CATCH FOR THE TD 😱🤯

WHAT A GAME. WHAT A CATCH. @IndianaFootball pic.twitter.com/PhHzKjuVB9
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 8, 2025

In the week thereafter, once the Colts were back in Indianapolis and the Hoosiers were preparing for Wisconsin, Jones and Mendoza spoke with each other.

"It was good to talk to him and catch up and hear about how things are going at Indiana and kind of how he’s been processing this season," Jones said Wednesday. "Any kind of help I can give or support, I’m certainly willing and happy to."

During the Colts' victory over the Falcons, Jones took a hard fall. Blood filled his mouth and covered his lips.

Daniel Jones led the Colts in clutch time to tie the game with a bloody lip 👀 pic.twitter.com/iSuoocYS68
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 9, 2025

Mendoza joked Monday on the Pat McAfee Show he tried to follow in Jones' footsteps during Indiana's 31-7 victory over Wisconsin on Nov. 15.

"In the Wisconsin game, I got a little bit of a black eye here," Mendoza said. "I was trying to be like (Jones) and get the bloody mouth and stuff, but wasn't able to."

Jones and Mendoza have both electrified crowds in their first seasons in Indiana.

The 28-year-old Jones has reinvented himself with the Colts, ranking third in the NFL with a 69.9% completion rate and 2,659 passing yards through 10 games.

Mendoza, a transfer from Cal, leads the FBS with 30 passing touchdowns and ranks third in completion rate at 73%. He's among the favorites for the Heisman Trophy and considered one of the most likely candidates to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

"He’s fun to watch," Jones said. "He’s a really good player, a good passer. You can tell he’s smart and knows where the ball is supposed to go. So, it’s been fun to watch him."

Mendoza may soon get the chance to replicate Jones' success at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, which is the host site for the Big Ten Championship game. If Mendoza and the Hoosiers (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) defeat archrival Purdue (2-9, 0-8 Big Ten) on Nov. 28, Indiana will play for the Big Ten title Dec. 6.

The Colts will be in Jacksonville, where an AFC South matchup with the Jaguars awaits the next day — but Jones, for as much as he's allowed, may very well carve out time to watch Mendoza and the Hoosiers fight for glory on his home field.