The sleeping giant that is Indiana football is awake after just seven games of the Curt Cignetti era.
For the first time since 2021, the Hoosiers played in front of a sold-out crowd at Memorial Stadium for their Homecoming matchup with Nebraska. The crowd wasn’t the only thing that showed up, as Indiana dominated the Cornhuskers for 60 minutes, reigning victoriously 56-7.
“I’ve never played in front of a crowd like this,” senior linebacker Jailin Walker said postgame. “They came with loud noises, and it motivated us to play fast.”
Through the first six games of the season, the doubters harped on the “weak” schedule Indiana started out with. Many thought Nebraska would expose the Hoosiers’ weaknesses, but they were wrong once again, as Indiana proved it is not only a presence in the Big Ten, but a real contender to win the conference.
“I think with success comes belief, which comes confidence, which comes success,” Cignetti said after the game.
If there was any game the Hoosiers needed to prove they could control the line of scrimmage, it was this one. Coming into the game, Nebraska was arguably the best defensive front in the Big Ten. It had given up just 505 total rushing yards (84.2 per game) and zero rushing touchdowns. Indiana shattered these numbers, finishing with 215 yards (6.5 yards per carry) and five touchdowns.
The Hoosiers’ backfield was once again led by fifth-year senior Justice Ellison, who ran for 105 yards on nine carries with two touchdowns. The first of Ellison’s scores broke Nebraska’s scoreless rushing touchdown streak, another example of the Hoosiers proving doubters wrong.
“I know they didn’t have any rushing touchdowns, and I had in my mindset we need to break that,” Ellison said. “We knew we had to have a chip on the shoulder.”
With Saturday’s offensive showing, Indiana has put up 30 or more points in every game this season, including six straight games with 41 or more, extending the school record. The Hoosiers were already a force to be reckoned with, averaging 515.7 yards per game coming into the game. While they finished just below that mark at 495 yards of offense, there is proof that this is the best offense in the Big Ten.
“I know there was a national perception that Nebraska had a pretty legit defense on a national side,” Cignetti said postgame. “That will open their eyes.”
The main point with this Indiana team is continuing to dominate in areas they aren’t supposed to. In a week they take on Washington, which ranks first in the country in passing yards allowed per game. There will more than likely be talks that this is where the pass game is going to show a decline, but with sixth-year quarterback Kurtis Rourke at the helm, nothing is slowing the air raid down.
Rourke didn’t play a snap in the second half as he finished 17-of-21 for 189 yards, a touchdown and an interception at the end of the first half on a Hail Mary. Despite exiting with a thumb problem during the second quarter the injury, isn’t expected to be a big deal, with Cignetti saying he felt “optimistic.”
Saturday was a matchup between two of the best defensive fronts in the Big Ten. While the Nebraska side didn’t live up to the hype, the Hoosiers certainly did.
They shut down the Cornhuskers’ run game, allowing just 2.4 yards per carry and a measly 70 total rushing yards. In the pass game, the Hoosiers were active, getting to freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola frequently. While seniors Shawn Asbury and Jamier Johnson, as well as freshman Rolijah Hardy, all came away with interceptions, it started with the defensive line.
“It makes our job way easier,” sophomore cornerback D’Angelo Ponds said postgame. “Just them getting pressure on the quarterback, keeping him uncomfortable and get him off his platform. That makes it way easier on us.”
Following two sacks from senior defensive back Terry Jones Jr. and junior defensive lineman Mikail Kamara, the Indiana defense is now tied with none other than Nebraska for the conference lead. With veteran quarterbacks Will Rogers from Washington and Will Howard from Ohio State remaining on the schedule, applying pressure is going to be a key point of emphasis.
While the doubters get quieter from week-to-week, the believers get that much louder. It’s been an area of emphasis for Cignetti and his team to not pay attention to any noise, no matter if it’s good or bad.
“That’s just rat poison,” Walker said. “You really got to stay off social media because they’re not on the field when we play. Whatever Coach Cig says, that’s what we listen to.”
Cignetti is a great figure to listen to as he’s now led the Hoosiers to their best start since 1967 and he’s done it his way. He is outmuscling opponents’ game-to-game, no matter what the narrative is. Going into this game, the rat poison said this was potentially the end of the road for the glistening 2024 undefeated start. However, the Hoosiers stayed true to themselves, as they have all season, naturally silencing all the doubters in the process.
Indiana football is legit. The fans will continue to show up, the players will continue to dominate, and the media will start giving flowers. But the locker room, doesn’t care about that at all — it’s just about winning, which is exactly what the 7-0 Hoosiers have done.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and columnist Jhett Garrett (@jhettgarrett) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
