Indiana

Curt Cignetti ‘not supposed to say’ he’s proud of IU football. But at 6-0, he let it slip.

Published

12 months ago

October 6, 2024

Press Room

Curt Cignetti ‘not supposed to say’ he’s proud of IU football. But at 6-0, he let it slip.

EVANSTON, Ill. — Indiana football defensive end Mikail Kamara knows how much Curt Cignetti loathes handing out praise.

Kamara has been with Cignetti going back to 2020 as the first verbal commitment for James Madison’s coaching staff during that recruiting cycle.

There’s a small window when Cignetti lets down his guard after games — just a tiny bit — and that happened Saturday in the wake of IU’s 41-24 win over Northwestern. It was the type of gritty victory that was missing from IU’s resume, and after the game he had to admit something he doesn’t like to put out in the public.

“We are 6-0 as a football team, proud of the team up this point,” Cignetti said. “Which I’m not supposed to say.”

Insider: This IU team is nothing like the IU anyone has ever known. It’s ruthless.

IU vs. Northwestern grades: Hoosiers far from perfect, but their record still is

Kamara said that sentiment will be a distant memory once the team gets back to Bloomington as everyone turns their focus to Nebraska, but that small bit of praise from Cignetti was still a meaningful moment given the high bar of success he sets.

“It’s like we are playing so well he has no choice but to tell everybody,” Kamara said with a chuckle.

The final 12 minutes of the game is what Cignetti will remember the most from Saturday.

Indiana’s offense kept on putting points on the board, but the defense struggled to come up with a stop for much of the second half. Northwestern quarterback Jack Lausch orchestrated a six-play, 61-yard scoring drive early in the fourth quarter and got the crowd on their feet with a 47-yard completion to Bryce Kirtz that was the team’s longest play of the day.

The Wildcats’ upset hopes evaporated after that.

Indiana starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke connected with the team’s leading receiver Elijah Sarratt three times on the ensuing drive to get right back into the red zone where Ty Son Lawton rushed his seventh touchdown of the season.

Rourke and Sarratt connected again to convert on a 4th-and-5 late in the quarter to set up another score.

The Hoosiers defense swarmed Lausch on Northwestern’s final two drives — they had four quarterback hurries from four defenders — and the secondary locked things down. Lausch was 6-of-15 during that stretch and barely avoided turning the ball over on a near-sack from Kamara.

“I really liked the way we finished the game on defense with the last two drives,” Cignetti said. “I really liked that a lot, that was awesome.”

Indiana is the first team in the FBS that is bowl eligible. That wasn’t mentioned at the podium by Cignetti and it wasn’t uttered in the locker room either.

The Hoosiers have national title aspirations — not a typo — and Cignetti loves that there will be people doubting his program every step of the way. He would much rather players lean into that than read any positive coverage about the team’s historic start.

Indiana is 6-0 for only the second time in program history (1967) and haven’t trailed for a single second.

“I’m not concerned with them reading about their accolades on social media and the paper cause they have been around the block a little bit,” Cignetti said of his veteran team. “They’ll be reading a lot about how we aren’t good enough to do this and that. I want the chip on their shoulder to keep growing, is what I want.”

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.

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Indiana

Are Caitlin Clark’s Air Force 1s the key to Indiana Fever’s playoff success?

Published

6 days ago

September 23, 2025

Press Room

Are Caitlin Clark’s Air Force 1s the key to Indiana Fever’s playoff success?

Caitlin Clark may not be able to play for the Indiana Fever, but she’s clearly trying to influence her teammates with her shoe game. The All-Star guard, who is out with a right groin injury, has worn black Nike Air Force 1 sneakers for the last three games of the playoffs.

The Fever’s record in those three games: 3-0.

It started when the Fever were down 1-0 in their best-of-3 first-round series to the Atlanta Dream. She walked out on the court with the shoes, which exude toughness, and got a big reaction from teammates.

“I fear you, you mean business,” Fever All-Star center Aliyah Boston joked before Game 2. “Black Forces?! Them (refs) better watch out.”

BE LIKE CAITLIN CLARK: Buy black Air Force 1s

Ever the superstitious type, after the Fever won Game 2, Clark wore same outfit and Air Force 1s for Game 3. After the Fever upset the Dream, they celebrated the shoes on the court.

“I mean, they’re working, so,” teammate Lexie Hull said following the Game 3 win. “We told her she’s bringing them in her bag, wearing them every day.”

For Game 1 of the semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces, Clark wore black and white Nikes to the Michelob ULTRA Arena. Indiana’s Sophie Cunningham was concerned, asking about the black Air Forces. Clark said: “Don’t worry, I’ve got them.”

Clark wore all black for the game, including the Air Force 1s, and the Fever stunned the Aces to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-5 semifinals.

Here’s guessing the black AF1s will be back for Game 2, Tuesday in Las Vegas.

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