Curt Cignetti liked plenty about Indiana’s 38-0 win over Western Kentucky, but the thing that stood out most was the way his team handled the day once the game was under control.
After Saturday’s shutout at Memorial Stadium, Cignetti pointed to the defense’s early stand near the goal line, the offense’s ability to hit a few timely plays, and the need to protect a roster that is still thin in spots.
“It was ballgame,” Cignetti said.
Western Kentucky came out well enough early to make Indiana work, and Cignetti said the Hoosiers left some chances on the field, especially on offense, where they had opportunities to create explosive plays in key moments. But he said Isaiah Jones’ play changed the feel of the game, and Indiana carried a two-score lead into the locker room.
From there, the Hoosiers opened the second half with a field goal, then connected on the long pass to Charlie. After that, Cignetti said the staff shifted into more of a damage-control mode.
“Really could have just named it maybe,” he said. “We were more interested in shortening and getting out of the game instead of risking the chance of somebody - because we are thin in some positions.”
He added that even when the bench was emptied, the depth issue remained a factor. Managing that, he said, is part of the job that does not always get enough attention.
The defining sequence for Cignetti came when Western Kentucky got deep in Indiana territory and the defense slammed the door. On third-and-2 and fourth-and-2, the Hoosiers held firm and never let the Hilltoppers cash in.
“Yeah, I think that was key right there,” Cignetti said. “They got down there and we stopped them.
Third and two, fourth and two. Really gave us a shot in the arm.”
After that stop, he said Indiana took over at the line of scrimmage and kept the quarterback under constant pressure.
Indiana’s defense has already stacked two straight shutouts, and Cignetti said the group has improved since the opener. He also noted that the unit could get even better if Wyatt and Daley return, though he did not know exactly when that would happen.
“It’s hard to measure that,” he said. “We’ll find out we think soon.”
Cignetti praised the cornerbacks, especially AJ Harris, while also stressing how thin some spots remain. Still, he said the front-line players are good enough to keep the unit moving forward, with Bryant and the defensive staff handling the preparation.
The offense, meanwhile, found success through the air on first down. Indiana went 12 for 12 passing on first down for 215 yards, and Cignetti said a lot of that came from RPO looks.
“When they bailed we had the easy gift throw,” he said.
He also explained the punt-return setup, saying Becker handled it on Saturday and Tyler will be back there again. The staff, he said, wanted to give Tyler a little break and keep things from getting in his head.
Indiana has now won 19 in a row, and Cignetti said the run has been valuable even if outsiders do not always love the way he frames the early part of the schedule.
“It’s been a nice run,” he said. “Of course we get criticized because we kind of play an exhibition season before we go into the Big10 play. I can understand that.”
But he pushed back on the idea that those games are meaningless.
“Those exhibition seasons have been real valuable for us,” he said, noting that last year Indiana played 16 games and went 16 and 0. He also said the team has needed those games to learn about itself, especially with so many players dealing with postseason surgery during spring ball.
Cignetti said the team has continued to progress, even if there are still mistakes to clean up. At halftime, his message was simple: relax, play their game and trust what they can do.
“We still made some mistakes in the second half, but we made progress,” he said. “I see progress in areas that are hard to measure.”
He was asked about teams trying to get the ball out quickly against Indiana’s pressure, and he said that kind of approach is natural when opponents are dealing with the Hoosiers’ pass rush. He pointed to Hardy and Bones as examples of players who have turned that pressure into big plays.
“So, I mean, when we’re on our game we’re tough to protect against,” he said.
Indiana now turns quickly to Northwestern, a short-week matchup against a team Cignetti described as good and one he knows well. He said Northwestern was 8-5 last year, went to a bowl, and now has a new quarterback from Michigan State.
“We all know him well,” Cignetti said. “Saw him run for 66 against us one play last year here.”
Cignetti also singled out Tobi Osunsanmi, who had another sack, and Daniel Ndukwe, saying both have been playing well while waiting to see how the Daley and Wyatt situation unfolds. On offense, he said Nick Marsh played well after not starting last week, and he called attention to the ups and downs receivers can face from week to week.
“He had a couple nice blocks,” Cignetti said of Marsh. “I think he played really well in all the games.
And I think he’s coming. I really do.
Preston is as well.”
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