Curt Cignetti found a Big Ten example to sharpen his message before Indiana’s opener, and he didn’t have to look far.
Ahead of the Hoosiers’ game against North Texas, Cignetti pointed to Rutgers’ stunning 37-16 loss to UMass on Thursday as the kind of result that can punish a team that isn’t locked in from the start. The Indiana coach said the lesson was simple: prepare properly, keep the right mindset, and never overlook the opponent.
“It all begins with being prepared and having the right mindset, which I think we do. And respect for the opponent.
We all saw Rutgers-UMass, right?” Cignetti told FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff prior to the game.
“I want to go out there and feel good about the way we play when it’s all said and done. There’ll be critiques, there’s no doubt about it, but at the end of the day, when you play these (Group of Five) teams early and they are healthy, you’re going to get their best shot.
So we got to play.”
Indiana handled its business, rolling past the Mean Green 52-16.
Rutgers, meanwhile, was left with a loss that landed hard. UMass had gone 0-12 last season and had not beaten an FBS opponent in nearly three years, yet the Minutemen controlled Greg Schiano’s team in a defeat that was even more lopsided than the score suggested.
The result quickly turned into a national punchline, with outlets, TV shows and social media users piling on the Scarlet Knights. Now, Cignetti has added Rutgers to the list of cautionary tales.
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