Indiana’s Riley Nowakowski scores first TD of national title game to extend IU’s lead
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Indiana’s Riley Nowakowski became the answer to a trivia question on Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
In a national championship game collision dominated by defense, the fullback/tight end scored the first touchdown for either team. It took more than a quarter and a half for it to happen, too, which shows how much the defenses were controlling the game for Indiana and Miami.
But the senior from Milwaukee found just enough daylight to barge his way into the end zone on a 3rd-and-goal play from the 1-yard line, giving the Hoosiers a 10-0 lead. There was only 6:13 left in the half when this first touchdown was scored, and it wasn’t the prettiest thing in the world, fitting for a defensive struggle like Monday night’s contest was.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who runs an offense that can do a lot of complex things, instead did the most simple thing, handing the ball to his fullback who also doubles as a tight end.
Here is the video to go along with that trivia question of who scored the first touchdown of the 2025 season’s national title game:
There was still a ton of time to go, of course. Time for Indiana to extend the lead, and time for Miami to roar back in its home stadium.
But no matter whatever else happens on Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium, Nowakowski has his claim to Indiana football fame forever.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
