Game Balls: Indiana Football Standouts Shine in Statement Win Over Illinois

Heading into the highly-anticipated Saturday night matchup between No. 19 Indiana and No. 9 Illinois, no one knew exactly what to expect, but everyone agreed on one thing: this contest was going to reveal a lot about both squads – and it sure did.

Indiana tossed Illinois all over the field in a jaw-dropping 63-10 victory, and, in short, the entire country learned the Hoosiers are a true College Football Playoff contender, and potentially even a Big Ten title darkhorse. Meanwhile, the college football world learned the Illini are, for lack of a better term, a fraud - or, Indiana is just that good.

Indiana Game Balls After Blowout Over Illinois

Fernando Mendoza

Curt Cignetti and his staff went and found Mendoza in the transfer portal for games just like this. His raw stat line was phenomenal: 267 yards and five touchdowns with just two incompletions (21-for-23).

That catch. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Hw3jUZDUpM
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) September 21, 2025

In reality, Mendoza couldn’t have played a better game. Operating out of offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan’s typical RPO-heavy scheme, Mendoza sliced up the Illini defense at will, reading their linebackers, and making the correct read on every single play.

He delivered to his wideouts with pinpoint accuracy, had top-notch pocket presence (along with great protection from his offensive line) and even showed off his mobility.

With his performance on Saturday night, Mendoza has a real argument as the best quarterback in the Big Ten.

D’Angelo Ponds

Yes, Ponds did have the first-quarter blunder that allowed Illinois to score its lone touchdown of the game, but he played lockdown coverage on practically every other defensive down he was active on. Oh, and he just so happened to block a punt and recover it, before returning it for a touchdown.

D'ANGELO PONDS WITH THE BLOCKED PUNT FOR THE SCOOP AND SCORE!

No. 19 @IndianaFootball strikes first tonight.

📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/r4Q60uBtLq
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 21, 2025

His score put the first points on the board for either squad, and built the momentum that Indiana rode – albeit squandering it for a quick stretch when the Illini scored – to a 35-10 halftime lead, and ultimately a 63-10 statement victory for the ages.

Mario Landino

Honestly, you could’ve closed your eyes and picked any Indiana defensive lineman for this final spot. The Hoosiers won in the trenches on both sides of the football, but they were unbelievably dominant defensively.

Illinois failed to move the ball at any point all game, and that was almost entirely due to the pressure Indiana’s front four put on Illinois quarterback Luke Altymer.

Altymer was sacked seven times – two of which came from Landino – but faced heavy pressure on every drop back. Landino finished the contest with four tackles, two sacks, and a pass breakup.

A breakout game for Landino, his two sacks on Saturday night were more than his career total (1.5) heading into the outing.

If Landino can build off this performance and sustain a level even resembling his Week Four showing, the Hoosiers’ defensive line immediately jumps from stellar to exceptional.