With the New Year here, the 2025 College Football Playoff continued, and with it came the Rose Bowl. Leading up to the game, rain was in the air, and even though the skies were clear come kickoff, it was raining Hoosier red all game. Indiana beat Alabama on all levels, winning 38-3. Here’s a recap of “The Granddaddy of Them All.”
Rose Bowl Recap: Indiana Defeats Alabama
Slow and Steady on Both Sides Early
From the first snap, it was evident that this would be an early grind fest. In the first quarter, there were three total drives, the third one lasting almost nine minutes. On Indiana’s first drive, quarterback Fernando Mendoza was leveled twice, going three and out. Then, on Alabama’s first drive, they were forced to punt it back. Seven minutes in, and almost no offense was produced.
With the ball back, it seemed Indiana would go three-and-out again, facing a 3rd & 2 on their own 11. Nevertheless, Mendoza completed his first pass to Elijah Sarratt, moving the chains. From there, the Hoosiers would go 84 yards on 16 plays, including a 30-yard strike to Charlie Becker. They would run it nine times that drive, constantly using the clock all the way to the end of the quarter. Mendoza and the offense were stopped on third and long at the Alabama 13 to end the quarter.
Early Mind Games
The second quarter immediately started with the Hoosiers finishing their long drive by converting a 31-yard field goal by Nico Radicic. With the ball back for the first time in nine minutes, Alabama needed offense. Instead, they would struggle to create any offense, being held to a 4th & 1. With the offense on the field, Indiana scrambled to call a timeout. After the timeout, Alabama’s punter stepped onto the field, but so did Alabama’s quarterback Ty Simpson. Simpson jumped under cente,r looking to get Indiana to jump, but Indiana didn’t budge. Alabama would have to use a timeout and would bring the offense back out after. The Tide would go for it, giving it to Germie Bernard, but he would be short.
IU Offense and Physicality
With the ball back after stopping Alabama’s fourth-down gamble, Mendoza would find Becker for a 21-yard strike four plays later. Now up 10-0, Alabama once again found itself down early. Alabama would be forced to punt again on its next drive, but would get the ball back quickly after a big hit from Dijon Lee Jr. Desperately needing a score, Alabama could not afford another punt. At first, it seemed the Tide were finally creating momentum, going 40 yards. Still, after a few successful plays, it all went bad quickly. Simpson would fumble the ball back to Indiana after being hit by D’Angelo Ponds. Indiana would once again capitalize on another takeaway, finding Omar Cooper in the end zone, building a 17-0 lead.
It was all Indiana in the first half, but they knew Alabama was capable of coming back down 17.
Mendoza and IU Run All Over Alabama
In the first half, Indiana ran for 86 yards, only getting more explosive in the second half. Indiana started the second half by rushing for 49 yards, which included multiple runs by Mendoza. He moved the chains twice on that drive using his legs. At the end of that drive, Mendoza found Sarratt for a 24-yard score, increasing the deficit to 24. By this point, Indiana had turned this into a blowout.
New QB for the Tide
When Alabama’s offense returned to the field, quarterback Ty Simpson did not return with them. Instead, backup quarterback Austin Mack would be inserted to lead the offense. Simpson, who had passed for 60 yards in the first half, had gotten hurt on his early fumble. He would play the first drive of the second half, but would not return. Mack would lead the Tide down the field on his first drive, but would only help them score three, moving the score to 24-3.
Not Stepping Off the Gas
Indiana, up 24-3, would continue to build their lead, even with the limited time left. They would score two more touchdowns in the fourth, one by Kaelon Black and another by Roman Hemby. Indiana would also not allow the Tide to scratch again, forcing another turnover.
What’s Next
Indiana, in the end, won its first bowl game in over 30 years, continuing its dream of a national championship. The Hoosiers also became the first team to win in the quarterfinals after receiving a first-round bye. Mendoza would end the game throwing for three touchdowns and putting up over 200 total yards. As for Hemby and Black, they would combine for 188 yards. Black would lead the way with 89 yards. Now, they compete in the Peach Bowl to face a familiar foe, Oregon. Indiana beat the Ducks earlier in the season in Eugene.
For the Tide, they once again struggled to establish the run, rushing for 23 yards. This off-season will focus heavily on the running game and finding a replacement for Ty Simpson, who is likely to enter the NFL Draft.
With one more quarterfinal left between Ole Miss and Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, the semifinals are almost set.
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