For Cross and Fellow Receivers, Sharing Supplants Selfishness
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Miles Cross considers the possibilities, for himself, for Indiana receivers, for the Hoosier team in this unbeaten start to what keeps building into an exceptional season.
“We show our versatility,” the senior receiver says. “We have a lot of guys who can take over a game. It’s hard for a defense to lock in on one guy.”
IU (4-0) braces for what likely will be its biggest test so far with Maryland (3-1) coming to Memorial Stadium on Saturday, and 14 Hoosiers have caught at least one pass -- eight are receivers, three are running backs, three are tight ends.
Elijah Sarratt leads in catches (15) and yardage (250). Omar Cooper Jr. leads in yards per catch (20.4 with two touchdowns on his 12 receptions). Ke’Shawn Williams leads in receiving touchdowns with three among his eight receptions. Ten players have at least one catch of 14 yards; six have at least one of 33 yards.
“We get a lot of opportunities to make plays,” Cross says.
For these Hoosiers, sharing those opportunities supplants selfishness.
“We all want what’s best for each other,” Cross says. “We all demand what’s best for each other, even when somebody is on the sideline.”
Cross arrived at IU last winter with impressive credentials from his three seasons at Ohio University, where he caught 105 passes for 1,301 yards and eight touchdowns. He fit head coach Curt Cignetti's production-over-potential preference.
In his IU debut season, Cross has 12 catches for 166 yards and a touchdown as his receiving skills continue to evolve.
“I've gotten better at reading coverages and getting open in zone coverages and just learning how to create separation better,” he says.
Cross was once a South Carolina high school baseball outfielder, but any thoughts of focusing on that sport ended his freshman year.
“I was always able to track a ball down in the outfield,” he says, “but I couldn’t hit that well. I would strike out a lot. That was frustrating.”
Not frustrating is his connection with quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who is also an Ohio University transfer. Early on at Ohio, Rourke gave Cross, who didn’t have a car, a ride to the football stadium every day.
“I’ve always had a great relationship with Kurtis off the field. It's definitely helped on the field. Most of the time, we are on the same page. It's helped having that connection with him. We continue to build upon that, continue to build that bond and win as much as we can. Take this as far as we can.”
Rourke’s leadership skills were evident early on, Cross said.
“I always knew he was a good leader. You can make a good play or make a bad play, it's always the same from him. He's going to uplift you, but he expects and demands the best from you. He's a good leader, a smart player to be around. I'm happy to play with him another year.”
Cross said Rourke was, and still is, always encouraging.
“There’s never a time where he’s on you for making a bad play. He will encourage you to do better, but never negativity or doubt about your ability as a receiver.
“What you see is what you get with Kurtis. There’s no ego. He’s always looking to get better. What he demands from the offense and everybody else, he demands from himself.”
Rourke’s strong start to the season -- a .755 completion percentage, 1,013 passing yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions, plus 55 rushing yards and two TDs -- doesn’t surprise Cross.
“He’s a special player. I couldn’t be happier to see what he’s doing and the way he does it."
IU has dominated the start of the season like few Hoosier teams have before. It has outscored FIU, Western Illinois, UCLA and Charlotte, 202-37. It has generated 2,055 total yards while allowing just 797.
Are the Hoosiers at risk of over-confidence?
Not a chance, Cross says.
“We know our mindset,” he says. “We know our standards. There’s no complacency. We’re looking to build this up one game at a time. Take this as far as we can.”
Cignetti expects nothing less.
“He tells us not to be complacent,” Cross says. “He tells us to take every play and every practice one play and one practice at a time. He wants us getting better every day.
“He holds everybody to a high standard and demands nothing, but the standards from everybody. He's not going to give anybody a play off. If you do something wrong, he's not going to just let it go by. He's going to let you know about it.”