Media Monday: Quotes From Curt Cignetti's Press Conference Ahead of Northwestern Game

IU Athletics Release

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– After the 42-28 win over Maryland in Week 5, Indiana head football coach Curt Cignetti addressed the media inside the Don Croftcheck Football Team Room on Monday (Sept. 30) ahead of the Saturday (Oct. 5) afternoon kickoff at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.

Below is a full transcript of the press conference

Curt Cignetti | Head Coach

Opening Statement

CC: Good win Saturday. Hard-fought game against a good football team. I was really proud of the way we overcame sort of the adversities of the game, so to speak. Offense turned it over three times in the first half and defense responded every time. And then the offense throughout the game responded to Maryland's scores. Would like to finish the game a hair better. I thought we really could have made a statement at the end, but it's a good win.

Northwestern, they're a tough challenge. This will be the best defensive team we've played. Really extremely well-coached, in the right places. They know what they're doing. They make you earn your points. They're not going to lose the game. You'll have to win it.

Offensively, struggling a little bit to get their rhythm going. Quarterback position's been a little inconsistent for them but have some dynamic guys.

Kickoff return guy, a 96-yarder against Washington, plays some running back, too. Looking forward to having a good week in preparation for this next game.

On how a team comes together to defeat adversity…

CC: To me, part of coaching, you're sending those messages in spring football practice, fall training camp, how are we going to respond when this happens, that happens. It's the way we play the game: Never too high, never too low.

You're not emotional about the circumstances of the football game. You're focused on the here and now and what's your job, keeping your poise and composure. When you get 11 guys doing their job consistently, that can happen.

On if any of the team’s strengths have surprised him…

CC: I mean, I don't really look at it like that. To me, all the areas have to improve because you do get better or you get worse.

I think we've played fairly consistently for the most part in all three phases, but definite improvements that can be made.

With every success comes belief, and this is a team that's a little bit on a mission, and Northwestern is the next one up.

On the players buying in…

CC: It's all about the people you hire and recruit. In recruiting, talent's important but character is equally important.

I sit down with all of them in my office because you want people that can kind of buy into the team concept, understand commitment and discipline, hard work, that are moldable and not necessarily totally self-centered type people. It's all about people.

On if he felt reassured seeing the defensive line’s success against Maryland…

CC: I thought our defensive line needed to have a big win in this game because it's one of our strengths going up against one of their weaknesses. I felt like they did. We put really good pressure on the quarterback, and I was glad to see that.

The offensive line, I think, has done a nice job game in game out. I think certainly you could see in the second half the push we were getting in the run game.

On what he saw from Kurtis to know that he would respond well after throwing early interceptions…

CC: I think it's just more being around him since he's been with us since the spring. He doesn't really seem to get fazed by a whole lot of stuff and he's on to the next play.

Those turnovers were avoidable. Sometimes you've got to cut your losses, but I never had -- nor did anybody on the staff -- have any kind of doubt that he wouldn't bounce right back, which he did.

On what makes Omar Cooper Jr. stand out…

CC: You know, his big thing is day in, day out consistency, because he has talent. I really like him a lot.

He's an explosive player with good ball skills that has just improved from spring to fall camp throughout the season and that's why we're putting him in position to make the plays. He made a couple big ones on Saturday, couple nice throws, contested catches. I liked him a lot.

On if there are traits that carry over from everywhere he has won…

CC: Well. Yeah. You've got a blueprint and a plan and you're creating a culture, an identity and a team mindset. We want to be a tough, physical, relentless competitor that plays really hard one play at a time, smart, disciplined and poised. Never too high, never too low.

That's how all the teams have played. That's how we're trying to get this team to play.

On controlling the line of scrimmage…

CC: I mean, it's all to me the same. Today's got to be a great day of preparation, mental and physical preparation for the opponent coming up.

You stack good days and hope you can keep your people healthy because that's a big part of it too. We're deeper in some areas than others. Keep improving.

On shortening the margin for error…

CC: I think just in our mindset and how we approach the game and some of the questions were directed to overcoming adversity or the highs and lows of the game is that this team has sort of absorbed that message, tried to apply it where they're not overly affected by success or failure.

On Myles Price and how he got on the team’s radar in the transfer portal…

CC: He's a really good player. He's a great teammate, too, has a lot of positive energy. Derek Owings knew him from his time at Texas Tech. Derek had been at Texas Tech.

We liked what we saw on his tape and in our conversations with him. I think he's done a tremendous job.

On when he got the job if he sought out connections for portal prospects…

CC: The guys are in the portal, you evaluate the tape. I think Derek came to me said this is a guy we ought to look at real hard; he's a great teammate, great for the locker room, which he is, yeah.

On how the offensive line has developed…

CC: You know, Bob's (Bostad) a really good football coach. He's a fundamentalist. He's tough. He's hard-nosed. His guys embody that. Kind of a blue-collar work ethic. He makes them tough and physical, and he coaches them that way every single day. And I see it show up on Saturday.

On the defense’s response after turnovers on Saturday…

CC: Well, yeah, I was really pleased to see that, right? It gave us an opportunity to be successful. I'm not surprised by it because I think we have a good defense, a very capable defense.

I wish we didn't turn the ball over like we did, but sometimes you're going to have things throughout the season, and it was great to see them do that. Again, I just think every win builds team confidence.

On Elijah Sarratt’s effectiveness…

CC: He loves ball. He's very competitive. He's got good talent. He's got great ball skills. He's really good at contested catches. He's always up. He's got a great personality, and he's eager to practice, eager to play and loves ball.

On if he knew about Elijah Sarratt’s nickname of “Waffle House”…

CC: I heard that he had created that name. I can't attest to the validity of Waffle House Always Being Open. But even when he's not, he'll find a way to come down with the ball.

On if he is surprised at all about the team’s success and what the reaction should be…

CC: I'm not surprised. I pretty much told everybody when I got hired that this is what was possible, and I felt strongly about that after we brought the 2022 transfers in December and added a few more at the end of spring ball and saw the culture come together the way it did.

But we had to put it on the field. So I knew it was possible because I'd kind of been a part of something like this before.

I think people are getting excited, which is a natural part of that process, too, when you win, right, the stadium fills up more, it gets louder, and the team understands how fragile success can be and how important preparation is on a daily basis and I'm confident we'll handle today and this week the way we need to.