Indiana
The Romance Of The Rose Bowl? Indiana Football Coach Curt Cignetti Isn’t Concerned With That
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – If you grew up in Big Ten country, within the traditional territory of the 10 core Midwestern schools in the conference, the Shangri-La of your college football dreams is the Rose Bowl.
The Big Ten champion played there annually from 1946 to 2001. The Big Ten champ has been in the Jan. 1 game since then in years when the Rose Bowl wasn’t part of the Bowl Championship Series or the College Football Playoff.
It’s a lifetime dream, if you follow one of the traditional Big Ten schools, to see your favorite team run out into the wide-open spaces of the vast Rose Bowl stadium on New Year’s Day. Programs that have made regular appearances – Michigan, Ohio State to name the most obvious examples – see it as their minimum annual goal. If they’re not playing in Pasadena? Something went wrong.
Other programs – Indiana and Purdue jump to mind – have played in the game so rarely that it’s a kind of unrequited dream. The Hoosiers only played in the Rose Bowl once; every other traditional Big Ten school has played in it multiple times. Indiana made its appearance after its magical 1967 season.
Purdue, Minnesota and Northwestern have been in the game twice. Illinois and Michigan State have made five appearances. It’s a rare treat for most of the traditional Big Ten membership and one to be celebrated when you do play in the game.
The lore of the Rose Bowl goes beyond that. The iconography is famous. The weather is seemingly almost always letter-perfect. The Rose Bowl organizers fight to have their kickoff at 5 p.m. ET so fans and TV viewers get to see the sunset over the nearby San Gabriel Mountains. The stadium itself sits along the picturesque Arroyo Seco, a ravine that leads toward Los Angeles proper.
It’s one of the most famous venues in sports, and Indiana will play there for just the second time in school history as it visits UCLA for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff Saturday.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti has been to the Rose Bowl once. He was the receivers coach (and recruiting coordinator) on the Crimson Tide’s 2009 national championship team. Alabama defeated Texas 37-21 in the Rose Bowl to win the title.
It’s here where it’s instrumental to remember that Cignetti is always hyper-focused on the state of his team. When asked about the lore of the Rose Bowl stadium? The Indiana coach wasn’t really feeling it.
“Rose Bowl has a lot of tradition for people that follow football,” Cignetti said, before he let the other shoe drop.
“For me and the team, it’s more of a business trip, whether we’re playing in the Rose Bowl or in a parking lot. It’s all the same,” Cignetti added.
Romantic? Hardly. Not that Cignetti’s attitude is wrong; it’s absolutely right. Sentiment is not a commodity Cignetti has room for with the Hoosiers staring down their Big Ten opener.
“It’s going to be a little longer trip out there, bus to Indianapolis, fly out of there into L.A., about an hour to the hotel, little bit of a time change, but it’s no big deal,” Cignetti said matter-of-factly.
But what about the pull the Rose Bowl has on Big Ten heartstrings? The fond Hoosier memories of 1967? That famous sunset that may play out toward the end of Saturday’s 4:30 PT kickoff?
“The venue, it’s never really played a big part in it from a coaching standpoint, and we’re looking forward to playing,” Cignetti said.
Oh.
To be fair to Cignetti, the Rose Bowl has become just another conference venue to conquer. And while the stadium itself brings forth nostalgic memories for Big Ten fans for New Year’s Day pasts? This is a regular-season conference game. There won’t be any Rose Parade when Indiana arrives in Pasadena in mid-September.
It can be a problematic venue for the hosts. UCLA has called the Rose Bowl home since 1982. The very thing that makes the Rose Bowl unique – the vast 106,869 seating capacity – works against a good game-day atmosphere when the Bruins take over the stadium.
UCLA’s average attendance in 2023 was 47,950 with a high of 71,343 for a game against Colorado and a low of 35,437 against a then-No. 13 Washington State team.
UCLA’s on-field fortunes have been mediocre for many years – the Bruins last won a conference title in 1998, and they’ve only finished in the season-ending top 25 four times in the 21st Century – so they’ve had trouble maintaining support at the venue. There has been talk over the years about moving to a different facility or building a stadium that is more appropriate for UCLA’s needs.
Still, it’s the Rose Bowl. The field of dreams for Big Ten football fans. Indiana is playing on that field. It’s a big deal, right?
Cignetti won’t be drawn into all of that, as evidenced by follow-up questions from his press conference.
“It’s next game up. Every game is the most important game. You guys can write your stories and your angles on how important X game is relative to Y game, but they all count as one game,” Cignetti said. “It’s the first conference game, so we’re excited about that, and we want to get off to a good start.”
Cignetti isn’t going to let the Hoosiers get caught up in the allure of the Rose Bowl.
“That’s a big part of my job to make sure we eliminate the noise and the clutter and everybody understand why we’re there. The guys that make that trip will understand that,” Cignetti said.
Oh well. Fans can corner the market on romance. Cignetti knows the task at-hand is his priority.
Caitlin Clark on the Fever’s turnovers in the first half vs Dream
“A lot of them definitely were unforced, like dribbling off the leg or a backcourt violation, which was not a backcourt violation, you all saw it.”
The Indiana Fever (19-17) continue their homestand with the first of two straight games against the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces (22-13).
Backcourt scoring stars Caitlin Clark (19.2 points, 34.7% on 3-pointers) and Kelsey Mitchell (19.1, 39.2%) power the Fever. Aliyah Boston (14.3 points, 9.1 rebounds) has averaged 24.7 points and 10.7 rebounds over her past three games. NaLyssa Smith adds 10.7 points and 7.3 rebounds.
Likely league MVP A’ja Wilson (27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.7 blocked shots) and fellow Olympians Kelsey Plum (18.1, 35.5% on 3s, 4.4 assists) and Jackie Young (16.2 points, 34.4% on 3s, 5.3 assists) power Las Vegas, which is coming off a loss to league-leading New York.
The Aces own two 19-point wins over the Fever, both in Las Vegas. These teams meet at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday and Friday.
Want more Fever coverage? Follow Chloe Peterson and subscribe to IndyStar’s Fever newsletter. Want to remember this season forever? Pre-order our book on Clark’s rookie season.
‘I’m proud of us’: How Fever flip script on Dream for comeback OT win
When do the Indiana Fever play today?
7 p.m. ET Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
What channel are the Indiana Fever vs Las Vegas Aces on?
TV: NBA TV
Streaming: Fubo (free trial), WNBA League Pass
Will the Indiana Fever make the WNBA playoffs?
Yes. The Aces are in fourth place and the Fever are sixth in the 12-team league. Eight teams make the WNBA playoffs.
Caitlin Clark stats with the Indiana Fever
Averages through Sept. 8 (36 games): 19.2 points, 8.7 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 34.7% 3-point shooting, 90.7% free throw shooting.
Get Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever jerseys, gear
Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark jerseys, shirts, sweatshirts and hats from Fanatics can be found here.
Tickets to see Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
Tickets for Fever games are available here.
2024 Indiana Fever schedule
This is the Indiana Fever 2024 schedule, with TV info; all times are ET
Date, day
place, opponent
Time, TV/results
May 14, Tues.
at Connecticut
L, 92-71
May 16, Thurs.
vs. New York
L, 102-66
May 18, Sat.
at New York
L, 91-80
May 20, Mon.
vs. Connecticut
L, 88-84
May 22, Wed.
at Seattle
L, 85-83
May 24, Fri.
at Los Angeles
W, 78-73
May 25, Sat.
at Las Vegas
L, 99-80
May 28, Tues.
vs. Los Angeles
L, 88-82
May 30, Thurs.
vs. Seattle
L, 103-88
June 1, Sat.
vs. Chicago*
W, 71-70
June 2, Sun.
at New York*
L, 104-68
June 7, Fri.
at Washington*
W, 85-83
June 10, Mon.
at Connecticut*
L, 89-72
June 13, Thurs.
vs. Atlanta*
W, 91-84
June 16, Sun.
vs. Chicago
W, 91-83
June 19, Wed.
vs. Washington
W, 88-81
June 21, Fri.
at Atlanta
W, 91-79
June 23, Sun.
at Chicago
L, 88-87
June 27, Thurs.
at Seattle
L, 89-77
June 30, Sun.
at Phoenix
W, 88-82
July 2, Tues.
at Las Vegas
L, 88-69
July 6, Sat.
vs. New York
W, 83-78
July 10, Wed.
vs. Washington
L, 89-84
July 12, Fri.
vs. Phoenix
W, 95-86
July 14, Sun.
at Minnesota
W, 81-74
July 17, Wed.
at Dallas
L, 101-93
Aug. 16, Fri.
vs. Phoenix
W, 98-89
Aug. 18, Sun.
vs. Seattle
W, 92-75
Aug. 24, Sat.
at Minnesota
L, 90-80
Aug. 26, Mon.
at Atlanta
W, 84-79
Aug. 28, Wed.
vs. Connecticut
W, 84-80
Aug. 30, Fri.
at Chicago
W, 100-81
Sept. 1, Sun.
at Dallas
W, 100-93
Sept. 4, Wed.
vs. Los Angeles
W, 93-86
Sept. 6, Fri.
vs. Minnesota
L, 99-88
Sept. 8, Sun.
vs. Atlanta
W, 104-100, OT
Sept. 11, Wed.
vs. Las Vegas
7 p.m., NBA TV
Sept. 13, Fri.
vs. Las Vegas
7:30 p.m., Ion
Sun. 15, Sun.
vs. Dallas
3 p.m., WALV
Sept. 19, Thurs.
at Washington
7 p.m., Prime, WTHR
*-Commissioner’s Cup games
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Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Indiana High School Athlete of the Week as nominated by fans, readers and SBLive’s staff.
Read through the nominees and cast your vote at the bottom of the page. Voting will conclude on Sunday at 11:59 p.m. and the winner will be announced the following week. If you would like to nominate an athlete in the future, please email .
THIS WEEK’S SBLIVE INDIANA ATHLETE OF THE WEEK NOMINEES:
Editor’s Note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll are intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes who receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.
The Louisville recruit had eight tackles (six solo) and three sacks in a 30-0 shutout of Indianapolis North Central.
Byrd threw for 308 yards and five TDs, and also ran for a score, in a 54-7 win against Salem.
The Indiana commit had five receptions for 202 yards and a TD in a 45-21 victory over Wayne (Ohio).
The junior had 317 yards and four touchdowns on 30 touches in a 48-26 win against Beech Grove.
The senior threw for 301 yards and had the game-winning TD pass in the final minute of a 16-13 win over Indianapolis Lutheran.
The junior threw for 271 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-21 victory against Shenandoah.
The Miami (Ohio) commit passed for four touchdowns and ran for another in a 46-13 win against Merrillville.
The Stanford recruit had 11 catches for 97 yards and a TD in a 17-14 overtime victory vs. Noblesville.
The senior ran 15 times for 250 yards and two scores in a 56-28 victory over West Lafayette Harrison.
The junior had a 64-yard touchdown catch and a 66-yard interception return for a TD in a 43-29 win against Whiteland. He had 150 yards on four receptions.
Higgins had three goals and an assist in wins against Evansville North and Floyd Central.
The Kansas commit and two-way starting lineman had 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in a 20-0 shutout of Chesterton.
The junior had 305 total yards and five touchdowns in a 50-31 loss to Martinsville.
Hughes shot the best score in program history, a 73, to earn medalist honors at the Pocket Athletic Conference Tournament.
The sophomore passed for 178 yards, ran for 130 and had four TDs in a 49-14 win against Wawasee.
The senior had 225 yards and two TDs in a 42-21 win against New Castle.
The junior had 325 yards and three scores on 44 carries in a 53-34 win against Heritage Christian.
The sophomore had a program-record 238 yards and two touchdowns on 11 catches in a 24-10 win over Kentucky power Louisville Trinity.
Nolan ran 15:02 to win the Rick Weinheimer Invitational at Columbus North.
The senior had 206 total yards and two TDs on 23 touches in a 38-14 win against Pike.
The junior had 10 rushes for 177 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 41-13 win against Yorktown.
The sophomore had 230 yards and two TDs on seven receptions in a 40-0 shutout of Franklin Central.
The sophomore had 266 total yards and threw for five touchdowns in a 69-8 win against Frankfort.
The junior contributed three sacks and two tackles for loss in a 35-7 win against South Bend Riley.
Williams shot a 73 to earn medalist honors and lead the Barons to the team title at the Fort Wayne Carroll Invitational.
Want to watch your favorite team live in action? You can watch several Indiana high school football games each week live on the NFHS Network: Watch live on the NFHS Network
To get live updates on your phone – as well as follow your favorite teams and top games – you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App
– Mike Clark
Indiana football opened its 2024 season with two dominant victories over Florida International and Western Illinois.
But the Hoosiers’ biggest stain in both games was similar. They allowed their opponents to drive downfield and record their only score of the game in the final minutes of the first half.
After two straight weeks allowing subpar non-conference opponents to march downfield and score at the end of the second quarter, two-minute drill defense is one of IU football’s bigger issues early this season.
“That was pretty bad, I’ll be completely honest. That was pretty bad. Cause the same thing happened last week,” defensive end Mikail Kamara said after the Western Illinois game. “So we’ve got to end the halves a lot better. That’s something we’re definitely going to be focusing on, especially that middle eight. So that’s something we’ve got to do better going forward.”
The drives near the end of the second quarter against FIU and Western Illinois both lasted 13 plays, including the Leathernecks’ field goal. But the Panthers drive took over four minutes of game time, while WIU’s lasted around two.
The film reveals that IU utilized different approaches to these two series, but got burned both times.
When FIU got the ball back with 4:53 left in the half after an IU touchdown, defensive coordinator Bryant Haines remained aggressive. He continued to bring blitzes and pressures to stymie shifty Panthers quarterback Keyone Jenkins. And those pressures backfired on several occasions.
The Panthers called plays — some were audibles from Jenkins — that negated IU’s rush in different ways. Most of these were quick hitters, like a slant or toss, that opened up looks without requiring time for the play to develop. That strategy produced mostly short gains — FIU’s biggest play of the scoring drive was an 11-yard completion. Key missed tackles by defensive tackle CJ West and defensive end Venson Sneed Jr. made things worse, and the Panthers capitalized with their only score of the game.
“The end of the second quarter didn’t go the way we were expecting,” linebacker Aiden Fisher said after the FIU game. “We did a lot of sloppy things, a lot of messy things, missing tackles, bad angles, just really not what our defense is about.”
Haines called the late-half drive against Western Illinois more conservatively.
Indiana spent most of the Leathernecks’ scoring drive sitting in zone coverage, mostly in the base defense without heavy pass rush. IU’s safeties sat deep in pass coverage, leaving plenty of space for WIU receivers. Jamier Johnson and D’Angelo Ponds both got beat during the drive, and Jailin Walker also missed a tackle early in the series that led to the first WIU first down of the game.
Western Illinois exploited the spacious coverage for some bigger gains than FIU got on its drive. The biggest play of the drive, a 30-yard pass that put WIU in the red zone, happened because the Leathernecks found a soft spot in the zone coverage and took advantage.
Even head coach Curt Cignetti may have made a mistake during this series: he declined an illegal formation penalty on the Leathernecks that would’ve given them second and 11 from their own 44 as opposed to third and six from the 49. The individual decision didn’t matter as much in a blowout game, but the longer yardage would’ve made it tougher for WIU to extend its drive.
The Hoosiers were too easy to pick apart on that drive, both because of scheme and individual mistakes.
Cignetti didn’t want to discuss much detail on the Western Illinois series after the game before he could watch the tape.
“There were probably a couple mistakes in there. I think we had subbed a little bit at certain positions also,” Cignetti said. “You’ve got to finish the half well. You’ve got to start the third quarter well. We’ve been starting the third quarter well, but we haven’t finished the half well. We’ve been starting the game well and finishing the game well too. There’s a lot more positives, but just like 98 percent of the teams in the country, we have a couple things to work on and improve on.”
These scoring drives didn’t impact either game that much, as the Hoosiers had full control of both contests. But if IU’s late-half problems resurface against better opponents, it could spell trouble.
For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
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