NOTEBOOK: With Bye Over, IU Gears Up for Nebraska
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The bye is over, preparations have resumed, and Curt Cignetti and the No. 16/18 Indiana Hoosiers (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) are working to ensure a half season of success builds into a full season of possibilities.
It starts with No. 25 Nebraska (5-1, 2-1) Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium and if you thought the Hoosiers took it easy in their off week, think again.
“It’s balls to the wall all the time,” Cignetti said, “because you’re getting better or getting worse. You’re never staying the same.
“We practiced three times and did some prep on (Nebraska). Then you’re looking at other people across the country seeing who’s doing well and trying to maybe get a few ideas that may help you down the road. Use that time wisely.”
Wisdom comes from program rebuilding non-negotiables that have enabled Cignetti to win wherever he’s been as a head coach, from Indiana University of Pennsylvania to Elon to James Madison and now to IU.
“The first thing you've got to do as a leader is you've got to change the way people think inside and outside the program,” he said. “Then, you've got to have a blueprint and a plan. You've got to have high standards for everything you do -- high standards, expectations, and accountability and consistency, day in, day out.
“How you do something is how you do everything. You have to be fully committed to being the best you can be, be a great team guy. Those are non-negotiable. Be early, do your best, improve as much as you can every day.”
The numbers, particularly on offense, reflect that. IU leads the Big Ten in scoring offense (47.5 points), passing offense (315.3), and total offense (515.7). The defense holds opponents to 14.8 points, 255.7 total yards, and 83.8 rushing yards. It has 41.0 tackles for loss (only Nebraska, with 42, is better in the Big Ten). It has 19 pass deflections, four interceptions, and five forced fumbles.
Overall, the Hoosiers are one of two teams nationally to have not trailed this season. Army is the other.
Cignetti credits retaining key Indiana veterans and bringing in quality newcomers.
“You need the right kind of guys, the kind of the mindset and culture that we've been able to create here,” Cignetti said. “Those guys certainly have facilitated the change early on. Dealing with success is a lot better than dealing with failure. But you've got to stay humble and hungry and maintain your edge.”
Saturday’s Homecoming Game is a sellout, IU’s first of the season, at 52,626-seat Memorial Stadium. Its biggest previous home crowd was 48,323 for the Sept. 28 Maryland game.
FOX will televise the game and bring its Big Noon Kickoff show to Bloomington.
The Nov. 9 game against Michigan is also sold out, and the Hoosiers are close to selling out their other two remaining home games against Washington (Oct. 26) and Purdue (Nov. 30).
“I think it's more about us performing as well as we're capable of performing and give the crowd a reason to really get into the game, which I'm highly confident we will,” Cignetti said. “We have up to this point every time we've (played). I have a lot of confidence in this group. It's an experienced group, high-character guys. We feed off each other.”
Learning is a key part of good coaching, and Cignetti has learned plenty from his father, Curt Cignetti Sr., a highly successful college coach in Pennsylvania, from Nick Saban, the former multiple national title-winning coach at Alabama and LSU, and even from Hall of Fame basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski.
“I think you're always learning,” Cignetti said. “Did I learn? Yeah. It's like Mike Krzyzewski said when he retired; his toughest opponent was human nature. It’s human nature because it's natural to feel good when things are great. But that's not what this game is all about when it comes to preparation and stepping between the white lines.
“You've got to have some special characteristics to be able to deal with success and not be affected by it in a negative manner.”
Nebraska has emerged as a defensive powerhouse under second-year head coach Matt Rhule, holding opponents to 11.3 points, which ranks seventh nationally. It’s the only team in the nation not to have allowed a rushing touchdown this season. It ranks seventh nationally in rush defense (84.2 yards allowed) and 13th in total defense (272.5 yards).
The Cornhuskers lead the Big Ten with 20 sacks and 42 tackles for loss. They’ve forced 10 turnovers, including seven interceptions, and committed only four. They’ve given up only three plays of 30-or-more yards, which ties for the nation’s best.
Senior linebacker John Bullock leads with 33 tackles, including five for loss with two sacks. He’s also intercepted a pass, broken up three, and forced a fumble.
“They've got good players,” Cignetti said. “They're very well-coached. They play really hard. They're very multiple in their scheme. They've got guys that can affect the passer, a couple big guys inside, 315-plus type guys. They play a lot of people. They do everything they can to keep you off balance.
“They also deflect a lot of passes.”
Offensively, true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola has played to his recruiting hype. He completes 66.9 percent of his passes for 1,358 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions.
“He's a really talented guy who's got great arm talent,” Cignetti said. “He plays with a lot of confidence. He's got a nice supporting cast. They protect him well up front. Schematically, they don't put too much pressure on him.
“They're balanced. They want to run the football, have good play-action pass, get him out of pocket, change the launch point. They've done a tremendous job with him.”
Raiola directs an offense that averages 28.0 points with some second-half vulnerability. It has been shut out in the second half twice, against Colorado and Rutgers.
Isaiah Neyor is the big-play receiver with 17 catches for 291 yards and four touchdowns, with a long of 59 yards.
Rhule is committed to returning the Cornhuskers to their national title winning ways. They’ve won five national championships, the last in 1997.
“Coach Rhule has done a great job,” Cignetti said. “They are an impressive team on tape. They’re a veteran outfit. They have a big offensive line, big tight ends. They play a lot of guys. They have really skilled receivers, a lot of good running backs, and a mega-talented young quarterback.
“As always, it's more about us and what we do, controlling what we can control. Having a great day of preparation and stacking good days.”
IU has a field-goal kicking edge. Nicolas Radicic is 4-for-4 on field goals (a long of 37 yards) and 39-for-39 on extra points. Cornhusker kickers John Hohl and Tristan Alvano are a combined 4-for-9 with a long of 31 yards.
Because of the Hoosiers offensive excellence, veteran James Evans has only punted 10 times for a 44.4-yard average, with a long of 58 yards. Three of his punts have been inside the 20-yard line.
Myles Price is the main punt returner with a 7.9-yard average. Solomon Vanhorse averages 23.3 yards on kickoff returns.
“Special teams is roughly 20 percent of the plays in any football game,” Cignetti said, “but there are huge momentum swings when you make something good happen or if something bad happens in a game. It's highly critical.
“(Special teams coach) Grant Cain does a tremendous job with our teams,” Cignetti said. “Our entire staff is involved with special teams. We watch special teams together as a full staff. We make a big emphasis on it.”
Like Cignetti, Rhule is from southwestern Pennsylvania. He said he’s not surprised by IU’s fast start given Cignetti’s family coaching background and his previous success.
“They had an excellent team (at James Madison),” he said. “The world has changed. You come somewhere now, and a lot of your good players come with you. They brought over a lot of guys that know how to win and they have a great coaching staff.
“The Cignetti family is a legendary coaching family. Coach Cignetti Sr. was as good as there was and both brothers are excellent. Curt’s a great coach, he’s turned around every place he’s been.”
Rhule, who had previously head coaching success at Baylor and Temple (he also coached two-plus years for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers), mentioned IU’s bowl participation in 2019 and ’20.
“It’s not like they’ve been in the gutter for a long time,” he said. “They’ve had good seasons, and (Cignetti) comes in with swagger. He has a really good quarterback (Kurtis Rourke) that transferred in.”
“They had some good players that were already there. They had some great wideouts and they’re rolling. They’re following (Cignetti’s) demeanor. They play with a lot of confidence and swagger.”