Coaches Show Recap: 'People Are Starving For Success And We’ve Responded'

Written By: Ben Gillard (@benjgillard)

Head Coach Curt Cignetti sat down with “Voice of the Hoosiers” Don Fischer on Thursday for another episode of “Inside IU Football.” Over the course of the hour-long show, Coach Cig spoke on how he feels the Hoosiers are playing and what he wants to see from the team heading into their matchup against Michigan this weekend.

From the start of the show, the excitement around this team was palpable. Hoosier Hanks had their biggest crowd of the season, with people packed all the way in the back room, eager to hear what the coach of the first IU team to ever go 9-0 had to say. Coach Cignetti started the show by praising the culture change in Bloomington, saying, “Well, people are fired up around here; they’re starving for success, and we’ve responded; it’s over the top; it’s a great thing, and now we’ve got to keep it going.”

Cignetti continued by speaking on last week’s Michigan State game, saying, “Good road win in the Big 10…Michigan State, they came out and were making some pretty impressive plays, especially in the pass game. You know, we weren’t executing very well the first two series, and down 10-nothing, which we had not trailed all year long. And so finally we kind of sunk in.”

Part of the Hoosiers’ ability to respond and score 47 unanswered points was likely due to the message Cignetti gave the team before the start of their third series. “I talked to the offense before they went out for the third series about, ‘Hey, go out there and have fun, one play at a time, a lot of football left.’ Cause you try to prep your team for being in that situation…you’ve got to stay poised and focused, one play at a time, and not try to let the circumstances of the game affect you, and our guys really responded well.”

After this, Cignetti turned his attention to the other Big 10 team from Michigan, previewing the Hoosiers matchup with the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday. Cignetti said, “They’re a really talented football team; they’ve got a lot of good players; it starts up front with the offensive and defensive line…but like I told the team Monday, ‘Every week brings a new set of circumstances.’ And I sort of had to get on them after practice on Tuesday. You’ve got to eliminate the noise and the clutter and focus in on what’s going to help you be the best you can be on Saturday and get the result; cause next week’s news is going to be based on what happens on Saturday.”

Cignetti ended the show saying, “Obviously there was a lot of stuff on the outside with rankings, and you’ve got to stay humble and hungry and put the time in and keep your edge; cause the margin of victory is so thin and it’s all about mindset, especially this time of the year.”