Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti did not stay quiet about the officiating midway through the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
ESPN’s Holly Rowe interviewed Cignetti heading into halftime of the Hoosiers’ clash against the Miami Hurricanes. As he walked toward his team’s tunnel, the Indiana coach called out the referees for missing illegal contact made against his quarterback, Fernando Mendoza.
“Well, there’s three personal fouls on the quarterback not called in one drive, that need to be called because they’re obvious personal fouls,” Cignetti told Rowe.
“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.”
Curt Cignetti: "There's three personal fouls on the quarterback not called in 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 gotta call it. They were black and white calls." 🏈🦓🎙️ #CFP pic.twitter.com/bHaOMTtAiw
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 20, 2026
Mendoza was battered and bruised by an aggressive Miami defense in the first half. Some fans felt like the Hurricanes got away with a couple of penalties as they punished Mendoza with big hits.
One huge tackle even left Mendoza with a bloodied lip — a play that Cignetti felt was deserving of a targeting penalty that wasn’t called.
Despite Cignetti seeming to be in a dour mood after the first two quarters, Indiana still led 10-0 at halftime. It was a fitting reaction for a Hoosiers coach who has developed a reputation for acting like a curmudgeon on the gridiron.
