Mendoza Ready For Battle

August has arrived, Bear fans! With the countdown to the first game against UC Davis on August 31st underway, the Golden Bears are busy preparing and finalizing their strategies. One of the standout players this spring and fall has been Fernando Mendoza, who is still in a competitive battle for the QB1 spot with portal transfer QB Chandler Rogers. Despite the ongoing competition since spring, there is no clear frontrunner for the starting quarterback position, as Mendoza recently suggested.

“Whenever they make final decisions, that's up to Coach Wilcox.” Mendoza said when asked about who QB1 will be. “The experts, as I like to say. Those guys have been coaching football. Coach Gilbert, this is his 21st year of coaching college football, and I'm only 20 years old, so that puts it in perspective. All these coaches, Coach Bloesch, Coach Gilbert, Coach Wilcox, have been coaching for such a long time, and they see things that we don't see, whether it's footwork, timing, anticipation. They've been around some real football players. So whenever they want to make the decision, I'm good with it.”

The redshirt sophomore spoke with the maturity of a seasoned senior, showing respect for the coaches' decisions regarding who they believe will best lead the offense this upcoming season.

Interestingly enough, the coaches have floated the idea of playing with two quarterbacks similar to what they did last year. “As long as I'm able to help the team, that's the most efficient and best way for the team. Historically, I believe the best teams probably have a single guy to get in rhythm, and I think Chandler would agree with me on that,” Mendoza said with regard to splitting the starting quarterback reps this year. “But whatever it is, I agree with it. I'm just trying to provide the most value to the team. That was a big thing Coach Wilcox talked about yesterday. He said no matter what position you were, I could even go back to my freshman year, freshman scout player. I just try to provide as much value as I can to the team. Last year, during fall camp, I was getting one rep per practice. I was third-string last fall camp, so I was trying to provide as much value to the team as I could. As a leader on this team, I'm trying to provide as much value as I can. So that mantra that Coach Wilcox put forward, I'm listening and just trying to do my best.”

We last saw Mendoza in December's Independence Bowl, where he had a challenging performance against Texas Tech in a 34-14 loss, particularly after being injured with a fierce hit at the end of the second drive. Mendoza completed 22 of 33 passes for 261 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions and a pair of fumbles. During the offseason, he attended several camps to refine his skills, including the prestigious Manning Passing Academy.

“I got to play alongside great college quarterbacks and talk to the Mannings,” Mendoza said. “I also got to talk to Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia for a while. They were just hanging out in the parking lot next to a truck, and I'm a huge Patriots fan, so I went up and talked to them. They told me a cool story about Tom Brady and leadership in general, so that was a great experience… I got footwork advice from Peyton, Eli, and Sean McDermott, the Bills coach. They talked about film studying techniques, like what Eli studies on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Bill Belichick told me a couple of good stories about Tom Brady and Randy Moss and how to motivate your receivers. It was a great experience and a great confidence booster for myself, seeing that I can belong.”

Mendoza took the offseason very seriously by putting in the work to continuously improve himself.

“Each day, I'm just trying to get better and better, improving my skills,” The redshirt soph noted. “One thing I was working on today was my footwork. Although there were a couple of aspects I still could improve on, I was very happy with my footwork. I felt calmer and had a better base to throw.”

Last year Mendoza completed 63% of his passes for 1708 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He is looking to improve on his numbers and with the emphasis of his footwork, it can lead to a higher completion percentage, more yards and more touchdowns for the Bears.

Along with putting in the work with his technique, Mendoza was also able to put in a lot of work in the gym as well as refine his diet with a little help from Tom Brady.

“Last season, I played at 205, and that hurt me in a couple of games, especially in Utah where I subbed out in a couple of games,” Mendoza noted. “I just got tossed around. People might not notice it, but for those who play the quarterback position, it also factors in fatigue when you get hit.

“For me, personally, it's a lot more tiring than a 10-yard run and slide. Last year, I was 205, and today I am 220. I put the weight on better this time. At the end of last year, I was like, ‘Oh shoot, I'm getting hit, so let me put on a lot of weight. Let me just eat everything I can.’ But going into it, like my idol Tom Brady, I've been trying to slowly, month by month, include better habits. For example, in May, my first habit was no fried food. Then it was trying to eat whole foods, meal prepping at my house, eating sweet potatoes, ground beef, rice, avocados. In July, it was trying to stay away from seed oils. Just stuff that Tom Brady said in his book. Whether it makes a huge difference, I don't know, but if it's even a little difference, I'm going to put everything on the line and be a little uncomfortable for lunch or dinner to be a better quarterback.”

But one food he did not give up was his legendary Mendoza Burrito. “Over the summer, I've probably eaten five or six Mendoza burritos,” Mendoza said with a smile. “I’ve been in and out. Summer is usually a downward time for sales because students aren't here, but it's still doing good, supporting the cause (for MS research). Whether it's one burrito or 100 burritos in summer, it's still going to a good cause. If you have not had one yet… I highly recommend it.”

As Mendoza continues to push himself, Bear fans can look forward to a season filled with promise and potential. Whether he becomes the starting quarterback or contributes in another capacity, Mendoza's hard work and positive attitude will undoubtedly play a crucial role in the team's performance.

Cal opens up against UC Davis on August 31st at 2pm PST on ESPN +.