MIAMI — The Indiana Hoosiers are heading home after defeating the Miami Hurricanes Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

A sea of red and white confetti fell on fans after the Indiana University football team capped off an undefeated season, defeating the Canes on their home turf.

“Credit to Miami -- it was a real gut check,” Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti said.

Cignetti credited Indiana’s Heisman-winning quarterback and Miami’s own Fernando Mendoza for helping lead the team to victory.

“Fernando, I know he’s great in interviews and comes off as the All-American guy, but he has the heart of a lion when it comes to competition. I mean, that guy competes like a warrior,” Cignetti said.

Mendoza, who played football at the private Christopher Columbus High School in Miami-Dade County, now joins a very short list of college players who have won both the Heisman and a national title during the same season.

His tackle-breaking touchdown run with just 9 minutes left in the game helped to seal the Hoosiers’ win.

“Whenever Coach Cignetti, Coach Shanahan, you know, they call that play, we know, hey, we’re gonna better ourselves one more time in the biggest stage of the game,” Mendoza said. “And at that point, I took the drop, and it wasn’t the perfect coverage for it, but I trust my linemen, and everybody in that entire offense and entire team had a gritty performance today and we’re all putting our bodies on the line.”

Only Local 10 was there Tuesday morning as a fresh-faced Mendoza departed the team hotel, joined by his brother, Alberto Mendoza.

Cignetti left a short time later as the team bolts back to Bloomington after securing their first-ever college football national title.

“If you keep your nose to the grindstone and work hard and you got the right people, anything is possible,” Cignetti said.

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