Rece Davis makes stance clear on Heisman Trophy leader after Week 11

Rece Davis crowned a new Heisman Trophy leader following a thrilling Week 11 win that featured late-game heroics.

ESPN College Game Day host Rece Davis believes Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the clear leader to win this year's Heisman Trophy after his game-winning performance against Penn State. | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza added another unforgettable chapter to one of college football’s most improbable stories. With 1:51 remaining and his team trailing 24-20, Mendoza orchestrated an 80-yard touchdown drive capped by Omar Cooper Jr.’s toe-tap grab in the back of the end zone. The play sealed a 27-24 win over Penn State and preserved Indiana’s undefeated season.

The victory gave the Hoosiers their first win in Happy Valley and solidified their grip on the College Football Playoff picture. It also gave Mendoza his defining moment. ESPN’s College GameDay host Rece Davis made his opinion clear on Monday’s episode of the College GameDay podcast, declaring that Mendoza now stands atop the Heisman race.

For Davis, the logic was simple. “The quarterbacks have compiled numbers,” Davis said, “but there hadn’t really been a Heisman moment until Fernando Mendoza led that drive down the field for Indiana to save the perfect season for the Hoosiers.”

He continued, “Made some spectacular throws, took huge hits, and I thought two things after I saw the catch. Holy cow, that was one of the most amazing catches I’ve ever seen. Then I think I watched it a hundred times. I’m not so sure it wasn’t good in the NFL, let alone in college football. And then I thought, there’s your Heisman Trophy leader right now.”

Davis’s words carried weight, reflecting the same disbelief shared by fans who watched Mendoza take hit after hit yet still deliver under pressure.

Fernando Mendoza Leads Hoosiers' Game-Winning Drive to Heisman Notoriety

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti called the win “the most improbable victory I have ever been a part of,” a statement that perfectly captured the mood around the program. Mendoza finished with 218 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception, adding another score on the ground.

His numbers weren’t gaudy, but his poise under pressure stood out. Facing an all-out Penn State blitz on third down, Mendoza floated the game-winning pass where only Cooper could make the play. Replay confirmed what seemed impossible — Cooper’s inside foot scraped the turf just before he fell out of bounds.

That play, and that drive, elevated Mendoza beyond statistics. It symbolized the kind of moment the Heisman Trophy is designed to honor: a player who, against all odds, wills his team to victory.

Up next for Indiana, they will host Wisconsin on Saturday at noon ET on the Big Ten Network.