Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
By Chris Marler
The 2025 Heisman Trophy race felt like a fever dream.
No real fan favorites. No real mind-blowing numbers. And, the “Heisman Moment” of the eventual winner was a last second touchdown pass from Fernando Mendoza against a 3-6 team.
History tonight for the Hoosiers and 1️⃣5️⃣
Fernando Mendoza becomes @IndianaFootball‘s first Heisman winner 🏆 pic.twitter.com/UHXKc5mF7o
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 14, 2025
In the end, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia finished second to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
The Hoosier signal caller finished on 95.16 percent of overall ballots which was the second highest in the history of the award. He also finished with 2,362 points and 643 first place votes.
That was enough to hand him the trophy. Pavia finished behind him with 189 first place votes and 1,435 total points. Afterwards, Pavia had a message to the voters, and it wasn’t exactly a thank you.
Diego Pavia with a post-Heisman message pic.twitter.com/z18IUGz66t
— Chris Marler (@Vern_Funquist) December 14, 2025
Pavia finished this year’s race on 75.81 percent of ballots. He also racked up over 4,000 yards of offense and 36 touchdowns. Still, that wasn’t enough to get him the bronze stiff arm and bring it back to Nashville. Pavia was however, the highest vote getter in Vanderbilt football history and will have one final game in his collegiate career in the Reliaquest Bowl against Iowa.
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