Curt Cignetti didn’t spend Thursday night dressing up Indiana’s first loss in nearly two years. He made the point plainly on his weekly Inside Indiana Football radio show with Don Fischer: the Hoosiers missed chances against Ohio State, and that was the difference. But he was just as clear that one setback doesn’t wipe away everything Indiana has built.
“The sun will come up tomorrow, and no one died, and we gave great effort,” Cignetti said Thursday night. “It was a hell of a football game, and all our goals are still attainable, except we can't go undefeated.”
That was the tone throughout his comments - blunt about what went wrong, but not rattled by it. Cignetti said he didn’t soften the message when he met with his team after the Ohio State loss, and he believes Indiana’s response has been the right one so far. The real gauge, though, comes Saturday at Michigan.
“A setback used properly is an opportunity to grow, and we'll find out Saturday,” Cignetti said.
One of the biggest issues from the last two games has been Indiana’s ground game. Cignetti said the Hoosiers “We're probably not moving people as well up front,” but he didn’t pin it on the offensive line alone. He also pointed to hesitant running from the backs against Nebraska and missed chances for quarterback keepers and run-pass options.
That has left Indiana struggling to stay on schedule and keep drives alive. Against Ohio State, the Hoosiers threw it 46 times and ran it 26 times, far from the balance Cignetti wants. He stressed that a good rushing attack takes patience, because without enough first downs and enough time on the field, there are fewer chances to wear a defense down and land the bigger runs later.
That becomes a bigger concern against Michigan, which brings one of the nation’s better defenses. Indiana doesn’t need to overwhelm the Wolverines on the ground, but it does need enough consistency to keep the offense from getting too one-dimensional and to ease the load on Josh Hoover.
Cignetti also spent time on Michigan’s quarterback situation, which changed against Penn State when freshman Tommy Carr replaced Bryce Underwood and helped fuel a second-half rally. That switch got his attention immediately.
“As soon as that guy walked into the huddle, everybody else got better,” Cignetti said of Carr.
He called Carr polished for a freshman, but also noted the challenge of preparing for him with limited film. At the same time, he acknowledged Underwood’s physical traits, especially his arm strength and mobility, which means Indiana has to be ready for either quarterback. Carr is expected to start, but the uncertainty adds a layer to a Michigan offense that has leaned on its run game this season.
Saturday’s game at Michigan Stadium will bring another difficult test for an Indiana team trying to reset after the Ohio State loss. Cignetti joked that the Wolverines’ crowd of more than 110,000 would rival the total home attendance from his six seasons at IUP, but he knows the atmosphere is serious business.
Indiana expects to use a silent cadence, something it worked on extensively before the trip to Nebraska and has continued practicing this week. That preparation should help, but communication and execution will still be crucial against a talented Michigan defense.
Indiana hasn’t won in Ann Arbor since 1967. To change that, the Hoosiers will have to clean up the kind of self-inflicted mistakes that cost them against Ohio State, especially in a place where even simple offensive communication can get tricky.
In Other News...
Ryan Day Is Still Complaining About How Indiana Defended Jeremiah Smith
Curt Cignetti had plenty to point to after Indianas narrow loss to Ohio State, especially the way the Hoosiers handled Jeremiah Smith. On his weekly radio show, Cignetti credited the defensive plan for keeping the standout receiver in check, noting the mix of double teams and pressure on the quarterback that helped limit Smith to a season-low 68 yards.
Ryan Day, for his part, acknowledged the challenge Indiana presented but still came away sounding irritated by the way the game was officiated. On his own weekly radio show after Ohio States 19-15 win over Indiana, Day said he felt Smith was impacted by uncalled penalties, adding another layer to a game that already drew plenty of attention for how the Hoosiers defended one of college footballs most dangerous targets. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Offense Faces A Huge Opening In Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor is shaping up as one of those early-season tests where both offenses arrive with more questions than answers, and Indiana has a real chance to make the matchup uncomfortable. The Hoosiers have leaned on quarterback Josh Hoover and receiver Charlie Becker to keep their attack moving, while Michigan is turning to true freshman Tommy Carr after making a change at quarterback, a reminder that neither side is settled heading into this one.
For Indiana, the opening may be there if it can exploit the Wolverines uncertainty while also finding a little more balance of its own. Both teams have had issues getting their rushing and passing games where they want them, so the margin could come down to which defense holds up better, with Isaiah Jones anchoring Indiana and Troy Bowles leading Michigan. The setup leaves plenty of room for one side to seize control early, and plenty of reason to think this one could turn on a small handful of plays. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Has Two Growing Concerns Before Michigan
Indianas unbeaten run is gone, but the bigger issue coming out of the Ohio State loss was how uneven the Hoosiers looked in the areas that usually travel well in November. There were bright spots to point to, especially Amare Ferrells interceptions on defense and Charlie Beckers production in the passing game, yet the overall picture still left the kind of questions that tend to linger when a top team takes a hit.
The running game never quite found enough traction, and that matters even more with Michigan next on the schedule. So does the kicking situation, after Nico Radicic missed field goals in the loss. Indiana has enough good tape to keep confidence intact, but the Hoosiers also have a couple of clear fixes to sort out before the next test arrives. [Read more 🡒]