Notebook: IU Follows Win-Now, Win-Big Modern College Blueprint
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Patience in building a program has no place in modern college football. Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti understands it, lives it, coaches to it.
In other words, win now, win big.
Cignetti’s two-year Hoosier record of 26-2 reflects that as top-seeded IU (15-0) seeks its first national football championship against 10th-seeded Miami (13-2) at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
No program has better utilized the transfer portal than the Hoosiers, and if their roster isn’t loaded with four- and five-star guys, it is loaded with talented, veteran, high-character players who are perfect fits for IU’s attacking offensive and defensive schemes.
“In college football, nowadays, you've got to win every year,” Cignetti said during a Monday Zoom press conference. “With social media the way it is, the pressure to be successful, you've got to put together a team that's ready to compete for championships every year.
“Now, the more success you have, the better you're going to recruit from the high school ranks. And those guys will develop, and most of them will redshirt, but some of them will play as freshmen. We're always going to bring in 20, give or take one or two, high school guys. I think we brought in 23 this year. Some of those guys are ready to help us right away in some capacity.
“But the portal guys, you're bringing them in because you have a critical need, where have you to fill a hole. We've been successful doing it.”
Cignetti has never had a losing record in 15 head-coaching seasons while compiling a 145-37 record with previous stops at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Elon, and James Madsion. He’s also had a varied assistant coaching background, highlighted by being a recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach under Alabama head coach Nick Saban, a four-year run that included a national championship.
“College football has changed a lot, obviously, still changing,” Cignetti said. “You've got to adapt, improvise, be light on your feet if you're going to survive. And that's where I think all that recruiting coordinator experience I had in the past, too, as well as coaching probably benefited me.”
Like IU, Miami is a veteran team. It has 15 starters with four-or-more years of experience. After a 5-0 start, the Hurricanes had to win their last four regular-season games to make the playoffs. They’ve won three-straight playoff games, including a 24-14 quarterfinal upset of No. 2-seed Ohio State, last year’s national champion.
They are led by quarterback Carson Beck, who has thrown for 3,581 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. has rushed for 1,084 yards and 10 touchdowns. Malachi Toney is the top receiver with 99 catches for 1,089 yards and nine touchdowns.
Miami averages 31.6 points and allows 14.0.
“This is a huge challenge against a great Miami team,” Cignetti said. “They are very impressive in all three phases. They have a lot of twitched-up athletes playing fast, playing with a nasty edge. Coach (Mario) Cristobal has done a great job.
“Offensively, the quarterback, Carson Beck, is really playing well; their receiving corps, impressive; their offensive line, veteran and impressive; they have a running back (with nearly) 1,100 yards.
“Defensively, they are really shutting people down, creating havoc up front. The two ends are a big challenge. Their special teams are good. It's going to be a great challenge.”
Cristobal said IU is the best overall team with the best defense the Hurricanes have faced.
“They're really fast, physical, explosive, talented, and smart,” he said. “They play with a lot of physicality, a lot of violence. They understand their scheme top to bottom. They make it very challenging, and I'll tell you why. They're multiple up front and they're multiple on the back end.
“The way that they understand what you're doing so well, they set up and line up in a manner where they challenge your IDs. They've done a great job confusing opponent offensive lines with how they line up and how they bluff and disguise what they're doing, not only in the front seven, but on the back end. That's the challenge with them.
“They've been in this system and have played a lot of ball together. That's why you see the instantaneous reactions, the physicality, the closing speed that they have on a down-after-down basis.”
Cristobal played high school football with IU quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s father. The fact the Hurricanes are playing Mendoza’s Heisman Trophy winning son, who also played at Miami’s Christopher Columbus High School, adds intrigue to an already intriguing matchup.
“Football is awesome,” Cristobal said. “It's almost that part of it coming full circle -- his son is a great football player. The Heisman was earned and well-deserved.”
Mendoza completes 73.0 percent of his passes for 3,349 yards, 41 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He’s also rushed for 284 yards and six TDs.
“The type of season that Fernando has had, really they dominated just about every game, and anytime a game was close, he was a big reason why the outcome is or was what it was because of his level of play,” Cristobal said.
“His younger brother (Alberto) is going to be as good or even better. They are tough, smart, hardworking, awesome young men that represent their families and their university really well.”
As far as the challenge Mendoza will present on Monday night, Cristobal says, “He combines everything that you would want in an elite quarterback. He's ahead of the defense all the time. He's two steps ahead. He understands the back end, the front. He's extremely accurate, poised. He can make you pay with his feet. He can make you pay with his arm. He understands protections really well. He anticipates like no other.
“He really has distinguished himself as the best football player in the country this year, and it's not by accident. A lot of reps, a lot of hard work, a guy that's been a complete difference-maker for their program.”