Curt Cignetti has done his homework. Indiana football’s first-year head coach knows all about the Hoosiers’ 44-17 loss to Maryland last season, which Cignetti said wasn’t much of a game to begin with.
But much has changed for Indiana since its 27-point drubbing Sept. 30, 2023, starting with Cignetti. Between a new coaching staff and a wholly flipped roster, the Hoosiers are off to a 4-0 start. They were two spots out of The Associated Press Top 25 rankings in Sunday’s poll.
Indiana finished non-conference play with convincing victories over Florida International University, Western Illinois University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The Hoosiers also own a 42-13 road victory over new Big Ten foe UCLA.
But Indiana now has its biggest test yet, at least in Cignetti’s eyes.
“It's the best football team we've seen up to this point,” Cignetti said Monday.
Meet Maryland
The Terrapins enter Week 5 with a 3-1 record, holding wins over the University of Connecticut, the University of Virginia and Villanova University. Maryland’s lone loss came Sept. 7 in a 27-24 nailbiter at home against Michigan State.
Led by sixth-year head coach Mike Locksley, Maryland ranks No. 25 nationwide in total offense with 464 yards per game. The Terrapins’ strong aerial attack is led by redshirt junior quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., who tops the Big Ten with 1,155 passing yards. Edwards has completed 75% of his passes and tossed eight touchdowns with just two interceptions.
Cignetti has an extensive past with Edwards. When Cignetti took over as head coach at James Madison University in 2019, he tried to recruit Edwards.
Edwards chose Wake Forest University but transferred to Maryland after his true freshman campaign in 2021. Now, Cignetti and Edwards meet again.
“He can make all the throws,” Cignetti said. “He's got a lot of snaps under his belt. They'll also run him, and obviously he's a threat when he gets out of the pocket as well, when he drops back and escapes the pocket. So, he's a very competitive guy with good arm strength, and a good leader. They like him, and I can see why.”
Edwards has a talented supporting cast headlined by senior wideout Tai Felton, who has 41 receptions for 604 yards and five touchdowns in four games. No other Big Ten receiver has eclipsed 30 catches or 350 yards this season. Felton has at least seven catches, 117 yards and one touchdown in each game this year.
Complementing Felton is senior receiver Kaden Prather, who’s second on the team with 21 grabs for 203 yards and two touchdowns. Cignetti also noted sophomore tight end Dylan Wade and junior receiver Octavion Smith Jr., who round out a group Cignetti dubbed dynamic.
“It's going to be the best receiving corps we've seen up to this point,” Cignetti said. “Probably the best quarterback we've seen up to this point.”
On the ground, the Terrapins’ workhorse is redshirt junior Roman Hemby, who’s rushed 50 times for 208 yards and two touchdowns. Redshirt freshman Ray Nolan and senior Colby McDonald have a combined 298 yards and two touchdowns on 51 attempts.
“Really good players,” Cignetti said about the Terps’ offense. “Good running backs, offensive line. A little bit young but talented, big.”
Maryland’s defense ranks No. 72 in the country in total yards, allowing 348.8 per game. The Terrapins have embraced a bend-but-don't-break mentality, as they’re No. 34 in scoring defense — opponents are tallying just 16.8 points per contest.
Among 11 Big Ten teams with four games played, Maryland is last in the conference with just seven sacks and 17 tackles for loss. However, Cignetti believes the Terrapins’ defensive line is the best Indiana has faced this season.
“Defensive line is loaded,” Cignetti said. “Play a lot of guys. Be a big challenge. ... They're really big inside, and they've got good players on the outside too. They're very aggressive.”
Maryland’s defense has a wealth of productive pieces.
Senior defensive back Dante Trader Jr., who won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his 11-tackle, one-interception performance vs. Virginia on Sept. 14, leads the team with 21 tackles and three passes defended. Trader is the head honcho in a secondary with a blend of youth and experience.
Junior linebackers Caleb Wheatland and Kellan Wyatt have 13 and 11 tackles, respectively. Wyatt also has 2.5 tackles for loss, all against Michigan State, and a team-high 10 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
Up front, senior defensive tackle Taizse Johnson has a team-best 1.5 sacks. Senior outside linebacker Donnell Brown has eight pressures, while a pair of defensive tackles –– senior Tommy Akingbesote and redshirt sophomore Jordan Phillips –– have seven apiece.
Maryland has a lot of talent, Cignetti said, and he expects a tremendous challenge Saturday — one Indiana senior receiver Myles Price believes will come down to each Hoosier doing their job.
“They play hard,” Price said about the Terrapins. “They have a lot of really good pieces. They play good football. It’s just really going to be about how we execute.”
Indiana eyes defensive growth
Shortly after arriving in Memorial Stadium’s Don Croftcheck Team Room following the Hoosiers’ 52-14 trouncing of Charlotte on Sept. 21, Cignetti said his defensive coaches weren’t pleased. The 49ers’ offense had Indiana on its heels due to a mixture of motions and downhill runs.
The day after, Cignetti met with defensive coordinator Bryant Haines to go over the game. They’ve worked together for a decade, and Cignetti no longer looks over Haines’ shoulder.
Indiana’s defense is top 10 nationally in both points (9.3) and yards allowed (199.3) per game. Last season, the Hoosiers ranked last in the Big Ten and outside the top 100 in each category nationwide. Due to both past and present context, Cignetti anticipates a strong bounce-back from the Haines-led unit.
“I have total confidence in him and the defensive staff that they're going to put a great plan together, which gives us the best chance of being successful,” Cignetti said.
With a victory, Indiana would improve to 5-0 for the first time since 1967. Cignetti is already the first coach in program history to begin his tenure 4-0, which he described as a pretty good start.
But Cignetti said the Hoosiers still haven’t been challenged. When Indiana and Maryland kick off at noon Saturday in Memorial Stadium, the Hoosiers’ first-year coach thinks they will be.
“This is a really good football team coming in here,” Cignetti said. “We're going to have to play our best game. But I'll be shocked if our guys don't understand that.”
The game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network. Indiana is a 7-point favorite, according to ESPN, and has a 66.9% chance of victory in its conference home opener.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and columnist Jhett Garrett (@jhettgarrett) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
