What happened: Fernando Mendoza completed 10 of 16 passes in his first game action. The outing followed recent first-team practice reps after he opened camp with the second-team offense.
Why it matters: The clean performance gives coaches an early evaluation point as they set the quarterback rotation for the 2026 season. His camp workload had already begun shifting before the preseason opener.
By the numbers: Mendoza completed 62.5% of his attempts, averaging 6.1 yards per attempt and 9.7 yards per completion. He finished with one touchdown and no interceptions.
What to watch: Watch whether Mendoza receives a larger workload or more snaps against higher-level defenders in his next preseason appearance.