NOTEBOOK: No Matter What or When, Expectations Never Change
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - So much is possible for second-ranked Indiana (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten), so much more work needs to be done as it faces its final three games of the regular season -- trips to Penn State (3-5, 0-5) on Saturday and to Purdue (2-7, 0-6) on Nov. 28, and a home game against Wisconsin (2-6, 0-5) on Nov. 15, a much-needed bye in the middle.
Through it all, head coach Curt Cignetti said during Monday’s media availability, the focus remains on the next game, on Penn State. Expectations on and off the field never waver.
“I don't think those expectations change any time of the year,” he said. “If you want to be the best that you can be and you're committed to being the best you can be, you do a good job when you're in the building. You do a great job, high standards, you eat right off the field, you get your rest, and you don't do things that are going to set you back. Whether it's November or April, it's all the same.”
Penn State, which began the season considered a national title contender and ranked among the top three nationally, has lost five-straight games, starting with the double overtime home defeat to Oregon. Losses to UCLA (42-37), Northwestern (22-21), Iowa (25-24) and Ohio State (38-14) followed. The Nittany Lions average 31.5 points and give up 21.8. They are still ranked in ESPN’s top-25 power index.
“They have a lot of good players at all positions,” Cignetti said. “They’re playing really hard.”
Former head coach James Franklin was fired after the Northwestern defeat and replaced by interim head coach Terry Smith, a longtime assistant and former Nittany Lion receiver.
“Terry has done a really good job of rejuvenating these guys,” Cignetti said. “It’ll be his first opportunity to play a game at home. James Franklin did a tremendous job. He’s always represented himself with class. I have a lot of respect for him and for Penn State.
“(Beaver Stadium) is a tough place to play, 100,000-plus people.”
Standout quarterback Drew Allar suffered a season-ending injury and was replaced by redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer, a four-star prospect out of Ohio. The 6-foot-2, 207-pound Grunkemeyer completes 62.7 percent of his passes for 343 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions.
“(Grunkemyer) is a talented guy that was very highly recruited out of high school,” Cignetti said. “He set a lot of records in Ohio. He's tall. He can spin the ball. He moves well enough to get out of trouble. He's made some impressive throws. He can get it out of his hand fast.
“You can see with every series, every snap, he's improving and learning. He's a good player.”
The running game is led by Kaytron Allen (688 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Nicholas Singleton (292, seven). They have combined to catch 28 passes for 166 yards.
“Having two (strong running backs) makes each other even more difficult to stop because they can rotate them in and out and keep them fresh,” Cignetti said. “They're both explosive. They're both fast. One might be a hair bigger than the other one, one might be a tad quicker than the other. But those are NFL guys. They were impressive against Ohio State.”
Four receivers have caught at least 20 passes for at least 213 yards, led by Trebor Pena (26 catches, 232 yards, one touchdown) and Devonte Ross (23, 281, three).
Defensively, five Nittany Lions have an interception. Linebacker Amare Campbell leads the team in tackles (59) and tackles for loss (six). Senior safety Zakee Wheatley has 59 tackles and an interception.
Kicker Ryan Barker has made 11-of-12 field goal attempts, with a long of 49. Punter Gabe Nwosu averages 46.4 yards a punt.
The Nittany Lions trailed Ohio State 17-14 at halftime before fading in the second half.
“They've had some tough times,” Cignetti said, “and we've got to have a great week to stack days just like always. We have to be prepared, have the right mindset, play really well, and first play to last play.”
IU has rushed for at least 300 yards in a program-record five times this season. It has also held eight-straight opponents under 100 rushing yards (Maryland managed just 37), also a program record.
It’s a combination of strong play from the offensive line and tight ends, running backs and wide receivers, Cignetti said.
“We wouldn't be where we are today without the line being physical, getting it done, and taking over the game. Our backs are really running hard, and our tight ends are a big part of that and most of the time our receivers.”
Veteran safety Louis Moore shares the Big Ten lead of five interceptions with USC’s Bishop Fitzgerald. He also leads IU with 56 tackles.
He’s made the most of his final season after transferring from Ole Miss. Moore had previously played for the Hoosiers, but he transferred to Ole Miss after the coaching change that brought in Cignetti.
“A lot of these guys were in the portal before I got hired,” Cignetti said. “Lou Moore was one that was not, and I thought we were going to be able to retain him, and he ended up leaving.”
Cignetti said he based his decision to bring back Moore, as well as offensive lineman Kahlil Benson who left IU for Colorado and then returned, on several factors.
“I thought they were good players when they were here. They were productive players where they went. They saw the (IU) program change and wanted to be a part of it.
“There's no hard feelings from my side. They made a business decision. Then I made a business decision bringing them back.”
Next-man-up is critical for every team, especially one with national title aspirations. IU thrived with it against Maryland.
Linebacker Aiden Fisher, starting left guard Drew Evans and starting kickoff specialist Brendan Franke never played. That left backup linebacker Kaiden Turner playing with starting linebackers Isaiah Jones and Rolijah Hardy, Zen Michalski getting heavy offensive line duty, and Quinn Warren handling kickoffs.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza praised the way Michalski, an Ohio State transfer, played in replacing Evans.
“He's played in big games at Ohio State,” Mendoza said, “and that's what he was brought in to do here. He did a fantastic job. You just plug him in, especially with the leadership we have with (offensive line coach) Bob Bostad.”
Finding success from backups is among the ways Cignetti-coached teams excel.
"We've had some guys step in, step up, and that's what you’ve got to have," Cignetti said. "Sometimes. you never really know about a guy until he gets an opportunity. When a guy gets an opportunity, he can become a little bit of a different kind of guy.
“The thing about this job, you're getting ready to play a game, but you're always looking down the road at your 2026 team, 2027 team. To have young guys step up like that, it's good to see.”
As for Saturday’s game, Cignetti said Evans will not be available and Sarratt is day to day. Cignetti said he’s “very optimistic” that Fisher will play.
The playoff format means teams could play an extra four games if they reach the national championship contest (it’s a potential five if they also play in a conference title game), 17 games total. Does that force coaches to take that into account as far as resting or playing key players down the regular-season stretch?
“Injuries are a part of the game,” Cignetti said. “I'm always thinking about the health of our football team, which is why we practice the way we practice (shorter with a focus on efficiency).
“At the end of the games, when we're running (out) the clock and snapping the ball with two seconds, we're reducing the number of plays in the game. We’ve done that quite a bit in some of the games where we've gotten out ahead.
“The answer to that is we take (the risk of injury) day-to-day and make the best decision, starting with the individual's health.”