NOTEBOOK: ‘Rip Off the Rearview Mirror;’ It’s All About Michigan State
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - A let up can’t happen. Curt Cignetti made that clear. Past glory -- and Indiana continues to reap plenty of that from Saturday’s victory at previously unbeaten Oregon -- guarantees nothing moving forward, starting with Saturday’s Homecoming game against Michigan State at Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium.
“The key is our response,” Cignetti said during Monday’s media availability. “That's always the key. Rip off the rearview mirror. Total focus on Michigan State.”
The veteran head coach is convinced the Hoosiers (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) are up for the task.
“This team has met every challenge up to this point because they've been hungry and humble, prepared properly and put it on the field,” he said. “That requires commitment, discipline, and sacrifice. It’s eliminating the noise and clutter, controlling the controllables, and putting themselves in the best position for success. When you prepare properly, it breeds confidence and brings out your best.”
Cignetti demands doing your best all the time. It’s why the Hoosiers jumped up to No. 3 in the Associated Press and coaches’ polls. It’s why IU is 17-2 under him. It’s also why Cignetti earned his second Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week honor this season. The first came after IU’s 63-10 win over then No. 9 Illinois last month. The Dodd award honors a football coach who led his team to a significant victory while also embodying the award’s pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity.
Through it all in this what-have-you-done-lately world, Cignetti wants more from his Hoosiers.
“This game (of football) gives you nothing,” he said. “You’ve got to earn everything. It’s all about our mindset and preparation.”
And then, in case anyone missed that message …
“We understand that we're in a production-oriented business,” he said. “What we did yesterday doesn't mean squat, because next week's news will be largely determined by what we do (Monday), (Tuesday), Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and then Saturday, from play No. 1 to No. 150.”
Michigan State (3-3, 0-3) is coming off a 38-13 home loss to UCLA. That followed road loses of 38-27 to Nebraska and 45-31 to USC after victories over Western Michigan, Boston College and Youngstown State to start the season.
Quarterback Aiden Chiles completes 61.3 percent of his passes for 1,019 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions. He’s also run for 186 yards and five TDs. His top targets are Nick Marsh (29 catches for 340 yards and four touchdowns) and Omari Kelly (24 for 347 and one). Running back Makhi Frazier has rushed for 383 yards and two touchdowns.
Michigan State has committed eight turnovers -- four interceptions and four fumbles. It averages 29.5 points and allows 31.8.
“We’re playing a good team,” Cignetti said. “They had two hard-fought losses on the road against USC and Nebraska. They played really hard and had a chance to win both games and then returned home, and I'm sure they're not real pleased with their performance.
“They’ve got a lot of good players, great coaches. I really respect Coach (Jonathan) Smith. They’ve got good design in all three phases of the game. They’ve got guys who stand out.”
Running back Roman Hemby was a big-play threat during his time at Maryland, but has also shown, at 6-foot and 210 pounds, a power approach as a Hoosier.
At Oregon, he ran between the tackles for a pair of touchdowns -- his first of the season -- and finished with 70 rushing yards on 19 carries. He also caught two passes for 25 yards.
He leads IU with 421 rushing yards and adds 101 more on seven catches.
“When you take anyone out of the (transfer) portal that you don't have a history with,” Cignetti said, “you can research the production, you can watch the tape, you can talk to people, but you really don't know them until they're here a while and you see how they respond to different situations and how consistent they are day in, day out.
“Roman Hemby is a warrior. That guy gives 100 percent every day, every play. He’s a physical runner, fast, smart, great hands, great out of the back field. He’s a guy that wants the ball, that you can give the ball to and that he's been durable.”
IU manhandled an Oregon offense that ranked among the nation’s best, holding the Ducks to just 13 offensive points and 267 yards. They came in averaging 46.6 points and more than 500 yards a game.
Indiana leads the Big Ten in tackles for loss (57, USC is next with 45) and sacks (22, Maryland and USC each have 20). It’s on pace to surpass last year’s totals of 96 and 36 despite a number of new players. That reflects defensive coordinator Bryant Haines’ attacking approach that emphasizes constant pressure
“It’s all about people and the plan and putting the work in,” Cignetti said. “We’ve got good players up front. We got really good coaches that coach them, (defensive tackles coach Pat Kuntz) and (defensive ends coach) Buddha Williams. Of course, Bryant oversees the defense and does a tremendous job. We've definitely made progress up front. There's no doubt about it.”
Cignetti has never had a losing season with a 136-37 career record, including 83-20 in his last eight-and-a-half seasons. A part of that comes from demanding his players stay humble and hungry.
“You’ve got a certain blueprint and a plan, things you preach, things that you feel are important and it's my job to communicate those and the assistants' job, too,” he said.
“It’s like, live that and walk that. And then, the team has to get the message. Those aren’t just words. They're actions.”
Cignetti said having a veteran team, including a number of players who came with him from James Madison, helps.
“They understood the program, knew what to expect. But this year we added quite a few new guys, veterans, great character, good players, good leaders.
“We’ve got a lot of strong character on this team, and they're a team. Team goals supersede individual goals. And let's face it, when you enter a season, especially nowadays, because you’ve got a lot of new faces, there's really a lot you don't know about your team, how they're going to respond.
“You learn about your team every week. And we're going to learn a lot more about our team this week.
“I'm proud of the way that they went out to Oregon and got the message. We’ve got good players that prepare and like to play football. They're smart and they made good choices and decisions on the field.”