How good can Indiana’s offense be in 2025?
With more time to throw, Fernando Mendoza has the potential to reach new heights in his promising career.
And with a mobile quarterback, IU has the potential to unlock part of the offense that wasn’t an option a year ago.
Can they improve on the nation’s second-best scoring offense (41.3 ppg) and 34th most yards per game (426.4) posted in 2024?
The potential is there.
According to PFF, Mendoza was under pressure when dropping back to pass 156 times (33.9% of the time) for Cal in 2024, the 12th-highest total in the country last season. But somehow despite all that commotion, he also had the 12th-lowest uncatchable pass rate. He completed 68.7% of his throws. So despite being under a barrage of pressure, Mendoza was putting the ball where it needed to be more often than not.
Those are the measures of a cool customer. And things might not be so hot in the pocket for Mendoza this season.
Head coach Curt Cignetti isn’t one to hype up a player or position group, especially not this time of year.
But he was surprisingly optimistic when talking about his offensive line for the 2025 season. He expects improvement from an already good unit up front.
“I like our line a lot. I think we’ve got potential to be really good,” Cignetti told ESPN’s Greg McElroy. “I think we can be better than last season. We feel like we got six guys there with a lot of experience that can get the job done and we got some young ones. I like the line a lot.”
Better than last season could be interesting for Mendoza, considering how well he threw the ball while constantly under pressure or at least the threat of it.
Kurtis Rourke was only under pressure 75 times on drop backs in 2024, or just 20.8% of the time. If Indiana’s line is better than that, what could an already accurate Mendoza be capable of?
It gets more interesting.
Let’s remember Rourke played the entire 2024 season with a knee injury that seriously limited his mobility. And that seriously limited IU’s play calling options. The offense consisted almost entirely of Rourke handing the ball off or throwing from the pocket.
“We moved Kurtis Rourke .25% of the time last year,” Cignetti said. “Not even one percent. So everybody knew where we were launching it from. We’ll move that launch point this year, and you’ll probably see a little quarterback run here and there.
“I think with (Mendoza) you’re going to get some of it (running) without even calling it. “He’s a big guy, he’s got big movement, can make all the throws.”
The 6-foot-5, 225 pound Mendoza had 87 rushing attempts last year compared to 46 by Rourke. Some of Mendoza’s runs were to escape pressure. There should be less of that. Some were by design to exploit the defense. That option should be back on the table for Indiana in 2025.
Mendoza will have five receivers with at least 46 career FBS catches and 772 career yards. He’s very accurate. He’ll have a better offensive line to give him more time and comfort, and he brings better quarterback mobility into the mix.
Yeah, this could be good.
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