Curt Cignetti didn’t waste time looking backward after Indiana’s 19-15 loss to Ohio State.
“Have to get ready for Michigan, prep for Michigan.”
That was the first message out of the Indiana head coach’s mouth after the Hoosiers dropped a tight one at home Saturday afternoon, and the frustration was obvious. Cignetti said Indiana had plenty of chances to finish the job, but the offense left too much on the table in a game that stayed within reach all the way through.
“It’s a hard one to swallow. Learn from it and move on.”
Indiana’s defense gave the Hoosiers a chance to survive the day. Cignetti called the effort strong and pointed to the unit holding up in tough spots while the offense struggled to convert. He said the Buckeyes had their backs against the wall several times, and Indiana still couldn’t cash in.
The biggest swing, in Cignetti’s view, came just before halftime. Indiana was driving with momentum and in position to take the lead, but the possession ended without points. Then came another gut punch: the kick that hit the crossbar.
At the start of the third quarter, the Hoosiers compounded the problem by turning it over on their first two series. Even then, Cignetti said the defense refused to crack.
“They had their backs against the wall quite a few times and maybe we kick a field goal or something of that nature.”
He also said the missed field goal attempt from 55 yards was affected by the wind, noting that the kick was struck well and “Would’ve been right down the middle.”
The offense, though, never quite found the rhythm it needed until late. Cignetti said Indiana had “a lot of pass game opportunities” and simply didn’t take enough advantage of them. When asked what kept the Hoosiers from capitalizing, he pointed to execution.
“Execution. I mean, you got to execute. You know, and when all 11 guys do their job it tends to work.”
Cignetti declined to give a full breakdown of the passing game, saying he needed to review the film before making a deeper judgment. He also said it would be unfair to fully assess quarterback play without watching the tape, though he acknowledged there were both misfires and positive moments.
Josh’s performance drew another question later, and Cignetti kept the focus on the basics.
“Yeah, I mean, when you play quarterback it’s all about getting the ball to the open guy on time, accurately, as quickly as possible.”
He added that he wanted to see the film before offering a real evaluation.
Indiana also got a major day from its defense in the secondary, particularly from Ferrell, who finished with two interceptions. Cignetti called both picks huge, saying the first one led directly to points. He also noted that one of Ohio State’s completions came on a ball thrown into the wind and underthrown despite good coverage.
As for the secondary’s overall work against Jeremiah Smith, Cignetti said Ohio State didn’t go after him much early and described Smith as almost a decoy at times. He also said AJ Harris made it through the game after starting at corner for the first time since week one.
The loss marked a different kind of week for Indiana, which had to deal with a setback during the season after a long run of winning. Cignetti said the message to the team was simple: flush it, learn from it, and get moving.
“Sun comes up tomorrow, and get ready for Michigan. Learn from the things we got to learn from.”
He closed by keeping the bigger picture in view.
“It’s still all ahead of us. We can accomplish anything we want, all our goals, except going undefeated.”
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