It had been well over a year since Fernando Mendoza last took a meaningful snap at quarterback, but that didn't seem to matter too much last Saturday against an imposing No. 15 Oregon State defense.
 
Early nerves had to be shaken off – as could be expected – but once things started rolling for the California offense, they did so in a big way. By the end of the night, Mendoza had accomplished something that could pay big dividends for the Golden Bears moving forward: he validated his team's seemingly unanimous confidence in him.
 
"Fernando was the guy that was needed to get us a spark offensively," offensive coordinator Jake Spavital said. "You saw the confidence and the belief in our offense behind him. He's a guy that they're going to rally around and see if he can build off of this first-game performance."
 
Mendoza threw for 207 yards and two touchdowns on 21-of-32 attempts, keeping Cal within striking distance early in the fourth quarter. His effectiveness in the passing game forced the Beaver defense to remain honest, leaving room for the Bears to lean on their dynamic rushing attack which went for 244 yards on a season-best 7.3 yards per carry.

"[Mendoza] graded out almost 100 percent in decision-making," Spavital said. "He was distributing the ball and going through progression. He added an element of quick game and intermediate passing. It was really fun watching him go out there, communicate, work his way through the game and have a lot of energy and emotion with it."
 
That energy was on full display late in the third quarter. After hitting tight end Jack Endries for a 30-yard score and following it up with a dazzling two-point conversion toss towards the back of the end zone to wideout Jeremiah Hunter that cut Oregon State's lead to 35-32, the infectious ardor of Mendoza's celebration with his teammates was palpable throughout California Memorial Stadium.
 
"I like to call that his 'it factor,'" said Endries, Mendoza's next-door neighbor and fellow 2022 recruiting class member. "Just being a leader with all of his energy - he gave us confidence that we can move the ball easily against this good defense, and we did."
 
These types of performances don't happen by accident. While Mendoza's preparations had been ramped up since he was named the team's starting quarterback several days prior, he hadn't taken any shortcuts in the many months leading up to this moment, which the former Columbus High School (Fla.) star called "the best time" of his life.
 
"Fernando lives in the office. He's up here 24/7," Spavital said. "He's watched every single piece of tape on every team. He's probably gone back years on defensive coordinators just to watch some extra tape that can help him during the game. He knows the ins-and-outs of everything. That's just who he is as a person."
 
Spavital also compared Mendoza's preparation and work ethic to former NFL superstar quarterback Tom Brady, who Mendoza's father, Fernando IV, identifies as his son's idol.
"Our family lives in Miami, but Fernando really attached himself right to the beginning of that Tom Brady dynasty (with the New England Patriots)," said the elder Mendoza, who was in the midst of fellowship training to become a pediatric ER doctor in Boston when his son was born. "He is a rabid Patriots fan."
 
Despite living on the opposite side of the country, Mendoza's family has been a huge source of support for him this season, with various members making it out for three of the Bears' four home games thus far. After being part of a larger cohort that visited for Cal's game against Arizona State on Sept. 30, which took place a day before Fernando's birthday, Fernando IV had a short turnaround before flying right back to California alongside two of his son's uncles to watch the Oregon State game.
 
"I think Fernando is buoyed by family," Fernando IV said. "We're a really tight family. A football family, for sure, and we're very close. We knew he needed support. Win, lose or draw, we wanted to be there for him."
 
While family has certainly played a huge part in helping the younger Mendoza get to where he is today, Fernando IV notes that the ubiquitous optimism his son has quickly become known for has been hugely important to his success.
 
"That positive outlook he has really formed as a teenager," Fernando IV said. "He went through a lot of football adversity. He was really under-recruited during the COVID era, but he's had positive influences around him in his life, with my wife and I, and certainly his grandparents and coaches. He's also a pretty spiritual guy. I think he's learned how to build on that and look at the glass as half-full, and realize that there's always something more. The journey has not always been easy for him, but the love for football has always been there."
 
Prior to his medical career, Fernando IV also played high school football at Columbus High School and competed in crew at both the national and collegiate levels. While he has his own history in high-level athletic competition, he names last Saturday's game and last year's Florida 4M high school state championship game – won in overtime by Columbus with Fernando's 18-year old brother and James Madison commit, Alberto, at quarterback – as two of his most stressful sporting experiences to date.
 
"Fernando's strength in the football world is quarterback IQ. He will not let anybody outwork him on the intelligence part of the game," Fernando IV said. "The only other person I see who's committed like that is his brother, who learned from him. He saw what a great football player Fernando became because he was so committed to the process."
 
Further complementing Mendoza's aforementioned traits is a fiery side that garnered additional praise from his coaches following his first start.
 
"When the ball's about to be snapped, there's a competitive side of him that he's going to do whatever it takes to score," Spavital said. "He will put his body on the line and he's not afraid to get hit. You see that competitive fire that's needed. On the sideline, you can never tell if he threw an interception, fumbled the ball or threw a touchdown. He's always going to show optimism. There's a belief in Fernando right now that these kids truly want to play for - the team loves him. He's an awesome person to be around, he's been a breath of fresh air for these guys and they're fired up to play hard for him."
 
Things won't be getting any easier for Mendoza, who gets his next start Saturday against a No. 16 Utah side which his team believes possesses one of the best defenses in the nation. Regardless of the challenging matchup, Mendoza is prepared to face it head on.
 
"I think it's a great opportunity. I told all the coaches when they gave me the nod I wouldn't have wanted it any other way," Mendoza said. "I wanted to be thrown into the fire, playing two ranked opponents as my first two starts. At the end of the day, these are the moments you live for, so I'm really looking forward to it."