Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti met with the media ahead of the Hoosiers season opener against Old Dominion. Here are the notes and top quotes from Monday’s press conference
NOTES:
– IU is ranked 20th in the AP Poll and 19th in the Coaches Poll
– IU hosts Old Dominion at 2:30pm ET on FS1
– A final Injury Report will be posted on Saturday prior to kickoff
“ I feel really good about the health of our team right now going into the opener. During camp we did have some guys in and out defensively at times, and one offensive lineman missed a little time but is healthy now. So overall I’m pleased with where we’re at.”
Curt Cignetti QUOTES:
Opening Statement
Alright, game week, it’s exciting. But it’s a total gear shift in terms of mental intensity, the preparation required, the urgency, staff and players. You know, stacking moments, meeting, practices, days to put ourselves in the best position to play as well as we can on Saturday against a team that I really respect, Old Dominion. A conference that I respect a lot.
Obviously, we’ve talked about the history of the Sun Belt teams, current members of the Sun Belt and the blue bloods that they have defeated. It’s a who’s who in the top 15.
You know, last year Old Dominion opened the season at South Carolina. Final score was 23-19. South Carolina beat them by four. It’s a hard place to play. I know that from being at Alabama.
Old Dominion got the lead with six minutes to go and has the ball, fumbles inside their own 10. Did it twice in the game. South Carolina’s touchdown drives were six and two yards. I mean, they were extremely fortunate to beat Old Dominion.
All but one of Old Dominion’s losses last year were by one score or less. Like I’ve told you in the past, they’ve beaten Virginia Tech twice in recent history, so we’ve got to be ready to go.
It’s all about us and our preparation, having the right mindset, and going out there and playing our brand of ball with a bunch of new faces.
On Fernando Mendoza’s leadership qualities and how the guys have rallied behind him…
CC: He’s played a lot of football, so I have a lot of confidence in him. I think what you saw last season, as Kurtis (Rourke) started to produce at a high level in the games, then his leadership and his status with his teammates — I’ve never made it a point to try to make the new quarterback the leader of the team.
Our focus has always been on developing him, making him the best he can be, because you lead through your actions. There’s nothing like positive performance to establish yourself as a leader.
On his assessment of the offensive line…
CC: Well, you have to have a certain amount of size, and you’ve got to be tough. Ankle, knee, hip flexibility, explosive power, you know, initial quickness.
The ability to stay healthy really helps, and the smarter you are, the better, because there’s a lot of variables up front and multiples. A lot of things happen where you’ve got to make quick adjustments.
We’re fortunate to have a pretty experienced group, and I feel good about them.
On preparing for Old Dominion and their strengths…
CC: Right. Offensively, it all begins with the structure and design of the offense. They’re going to spread you out. Big, wide splits. Force you to defend the whole field and with the blocks count and the advantage throws and get the run game going. They’ve always been high in the conference in rushing, and they do a really nice job.
The quarterback can beat you with his legs and his arm. He missed a game and a half. He didn’t take over as a starter until maybe Game 4 and missed a game or so. Him and the backup together rushed for about 900 and threw for about 2,000. Touchdown/interception ratio was good.
They try to create space through their alignments and take advantage to put themselves in the best play. They’ve got three or four offensive linemen returning, both quarterbacks, and then they lose their skill guys. They’ve got some new guys coming in.
Defensively, it’s a three-three defense. A little different than what you see. Variety of blitzes and looks. It’s a challenge.
Jason Henderson returns at middle linebacker. He got hurt last season early in the year, red-shirted. Had 170 tackles in 2023. I think he led the country in tackles.
On the plan with the running back rotation…
CC: We’ve always split the carries. Right now, the top three backs are (Roman) Hemby, (Kaeleon) Black, and (Lee) Beebe, and I expect them all to carry the ball Saturday.
On the second starting corner spot opposite D’Angelo Ponds…
CC: I thought (Jamari) Sharpe came on at the end of last season. He started the last three or four games for us, and he’s picked up where he left off. Got a lot of confidence in him.
(Ryland) Gandy has played a lot of football coming from Pitt as a starter, and Jaylen Bell is a good, young prospect.
On Louis Moore’s court case and his pending eligibility…
CC: We’re handling it the best way we see fit.