Dave Portnoy led the fury among stunned college football fans who called out the Miami Hurricanes’ Jakobe Thomas for his violent hit on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
During the first quarter of the College Football Playoff final in Miami on Monday night, Mendoza faked a run before handing the ball off to his teammate.
But as he stepped to his left, Thomas hit Mendoza purposely in the facemask with his helmet.
It was a shockingly late and brutal hit that left Mendoza on the turf in pain.
When he eventually got back to his feet, blood started to pour from the Hoosiers quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner’s mouth.
Portnoy immediately posted on X: ‘Apparently refs are gonna let Miami obliterate Mendoza with cheap shots.’
Fernando Mendoza was left bloodied by the brutal hit by Miami’s Jakobe Thomas on Monday
Thomas (right) smashed his helmet into Mendoza’s facemask, causing the Indiana QB to bleed
One fan commented: ‘Jakobe Thomas is a thug that has zero future in this world. Classy as always.’
Another posted: ‘Miami resorting to cheap shots on Mendoza. Classy as always.’
‘How do they let Mendoza get sucker punched with a helmet go?’ another asked before adding: ‘That was a blatant miss. Dirty play.’
One viewer added: ‘Mendoza may not last the full game. Someone definitely put a hit out on him the way Miami is hitting him.’
‘Textbook targeting on Mendoza who doesn’t even have the ball. Sick,’ another said sarcastically.
Others called out the ‘ridiculously late’ hit on Mendoza while some blasted the referees for failing to punish Thomas.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti was furious with the officials as he walked off for half time, telling ESPN: ‘There are three personal fouls on the quarterback not called on one drive that need to be called because they’re obvious personal fouls.
‘I’m all for letting them play but when you cross the line you’ve got to call it. They were black and white calls.’
Fans rushed to social media to destroy Thomas for the shameless hit on a helpless Mendoza
Mendoza managed to overcome the brutal Miami defense to lead the Hoosiers to their first-ever national championship with a devastating fourth quarter in the 27-21 win.
Two fourth-down gambles by Cignetti in the fourth quarter, after Mark Fletcher Jr.’s second touchdown carved the Hurricanes’ deficit to three, put Mendoza in position to shine.
The first was a 19-yard-completion to Charlie Becker on a back-shoulder. Then, four plays later, came a decision and play that wins championships.
Cignetti sent his kicker out on fourth-and-four from the 12, but quickly called his second timeout. The team huddled on the field and the coach drew up a quarterback draw, hoping the Hurricanes would be in a defense they had shown before.
Not known as a run-first guy, Mendoza slipped one tackle, then took a hit and spun around. He kept his feet, then left them, going horizontal and stretching the ball out to score.
It ended as a one-score game, and the Canes – the visiting team playing on their home field – moved into Indiana territory before Beck´s heave got picked off by Jamari Sharpe, a Miami native.
