Indiana University Athletics
Media Monday: No. 4/5 Ohio State
10/12/2026 1:00:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– After Indiana's 20-17 win at Nebraska in Week 6, Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti addressed the media inside the Don Croftcheck Football Team room on Monday (October 12) ahead of the noon kickoff on Saturday (October 12) against No. 4/5 Ohio State on Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium.
Below is a full transcript of the press conference, while video of the media session can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Curt Cignetti | Head Coach
Opening Statement
CC: All right, great road win. Hung in there. Gave ourselves a chance and found a way. Tough environment. Really loud. Nebraska played really well. Good football team.
But the last 11 minutes all three phases contributed, and it was a gut check. You know, it would've been easy to let that game get away from you in the first half, and we hung in there, so good win.
Playing a great team this week obviously at home. Ohio State are a great football team with a lot of great players. Extremely well coached. Ryan Day does a good job. Both coordinators, all the position coaches, I mean, they're really, really good.
And not only do they have a lot of excellent player they have a wow player. That's the only really word to describe him that I can think of. We're going to need our fans. Ought to be a great environment.
Questions.
On how he coaches through one possession games and what makes him successful in those games…
CC: Well, you know, if I had a big secret I wouldn't tell everyone, but at the end of the day the players make the plays and you just try it put them in position to make the plays.
On how Adedamola Ajani has developed at right tackle this season…
CC: Yeah, I think you see improvement every game, and he's only going to improve because he's a young guy that's going to get older, bigger, and stronger. Repetition is the mother of learning.
On the emergence of Jacob Savage and how he has made an impact in his first year…
CC: You know, really an instinctive player. Loves ball. Loves the process. He's a football guy through and through.
He had a lot of tackles in high school. I mean, it was -- I can't remember the exact number, but you knew he was going to do everything he could to be the best he could be.
Over time, he's worked his way on to the field in a significant role.
On what AJ Harris brings to the defensive backs with his return…
CC: He hadn't practiced very much to be honest with you. He had an opportunity there in the second half, and there are some things to clean up. We had PI back there, but he's played a lot of football. He has ability, and if we can get him screwed in assignment-wise to do the right thing play in, play out, he would be a good player.
On this weekend's game and its magnitude in the stadium's history…
CC: Well, winning does a lot of good things, and I think that's what happened. You got an opponent that's coming in here that a used to winning and winning championships and is as strong a brand as there is in America, Ohio State football for years and years and years.
So, we're a team that's developing still. I'm sure they would say the same thing about their team. You know, it ought to be a great environment.
On how Ohio State looks different on offense this year and the dominance of Jeremiah State…
CC: Any time you have a new coordinator there will be some subtleties, but they still run the ball well really. They throw the ball really well. They are very efficient, effective. They do a lot of the really nice stuff.
They move Jeremiah around quite a bit. He's taken it up a notch without question. I think he has nine touchdown catches in the last three, four games. You know, there is no one like him right now playing at this level.
We got two really good ones. He's a freak. We're going to have to do a great job on him.
On converting on third down against Nebraska and the approach to do so against Ohio State…
CC: And 1-1 on fourth down, so we were 2-10. Yeah, you're not going to win many games doing that. Although I will say this: One of the biggest wins I ever had in my career is when I was the head coach at Elon and we went to JMU and broke their, whatever 26- or 27-game winning streak at home.
I think we were 3-15 on third down. Bottom line is win, but if you're good on third down it sure helps.
On what he is seeing on tape of the Ohio State defense…
CC: You know, some subtle, more same than different, but some stuff. But doing a great job. I mean, they've got a lot of new faces and some of those guys we played against at Alabama. You know, they've really got them coached up, I mean, and playing really well. A lot of good players flying around; keep you off balance.
Guy (Matt Patricia) is a great football coach and the kids really play well.
On the missed tackles against Nebraska and how to fix that going forward…
CC: Yeah, we didn't play well really in any of the three phases in this first half. We had critical missed assignments on offense. We ran 16 plays. We had a hard time getting Nebraska off the field. They were executing really well; we weren't.
A lot of our issues were assignments, and they got the ball out there in space and we had a hard time getting off blocks. You know, but once we settled down we did a better job.
On potentially tying the longest winning streak in the CFP era this weekend and if he considers that…
CC: No. This is all about giving our team the best chance to be successful and doing a great job as coaches. You know, both teams are going in in my mind 0-0, and I'm sure that's how they're approaching it, too.
All that other stuff is just noise and clutter.
On how the home crowd can make a difference this weekend…
CC: Oh, I'm glad we're playing at home. We really need our crowd to be loud and very involved. We got to give them reasons to be.
So I can't -- it's just a football game, but I'm glad it's at home. Two really good teams. Great team we're playing. Not sure how good we are yet.
But our crowds have been awesome. They need to be loud, real loud.
On what a gritty, road win at a tough place to play does to help prepare for this weekend…
CC: No, I think it's important, just like the Northwestern win was important, to be in a tight game like that and win, especially on the road with all that adversity. We were down 11 points with 11 minutes to go and responded. It was extremely loud. I heard some comments from people it was the loudest it's ever been there.
So that was a good one to find a way to win a game like that. But, you know, it's behind us now and total focus on prep.
On tendencies that teams pick up in how they defend…
CC: Good teams have tendencies, but you to some changeup pitches, too. Run game has got to have at-bats. When you run 16 plays in the first half you're not getting many at-bats.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
#NeverDaunted
Below is a full transcript of the press conference, while video of the media session can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Curt Cignetti | Head Coach
Opening Statement
CC: All right, great road win. Hung in there. Gave ourselves a chance and found a way. Tough environment. Really loud. Nebraska played really well. Good football team.
But the last 11 minutes all three phases contributed, and it was a gut check. You know, it would've been easy to let that game get away from you in the first half, and we hung in there, so good win.
Playing a great team this week obviously at home. Ohio State are a great football team with a lot of great players. Extremely well coached. Ryan Day does a good job. Both coordinators, all the position coaches, I mean, they're really, really good.
And not only do they have a lot of excellent player they have a wow player. That's the only really word to describe him that I can think of. We're going to need our fans. Ought to be a great environment.
Questions.
On how he coaches through one possession games and what makes him successful in those games…
CC: Well, you know, if I had a big secret I wouldn't tell everyone, but at the end of the day the players make the plays and you just try it put them in position to make the plays.
On how Adedamola Ajani has developed at right tackle this season…
CC: Yeah, I think you see improvement every game, and he's only going to improve because he's a young guy that's going to get older, bigger, and stronger. Repetition is the mother of learning.
On the emergence of Jacob Savage and how he has made an impact in his first year…
CC: You know, really an instinctive player. Loves ball. Loves the process. He's a football guy through and through.
He had a lot of tackles in high school. I mean, it was -- I can't remember the exact number, but you knew he was going to do everything he could to be the best he could be.
Over time, he's worked his way on to the field in a significant role.
On what AJ Harris brings to the defensive backs with his return…
CC: He hadn't practiced very much to be honest with you. He had an opportunity there in the second half, and there are some things to clean up. We had PI back there, but he's played a lot of football. He has ability, and if we can get him screwed in assignment-wise to do the right thing play in, play out, he would be a good player.
On this weekend's game and its magnitude in the stadium's history…
CC: Well, winning does a lot of good things, and I think that's what happened. You got an opponent that's coming in here that a used to winning and winning championships and is as strong a brand as there is in America, Ohio State football for years and years and years.
So, we're a team that's developing still. I'm sure they would say the same thing about their team. You know, it ought to be a great environment.
On how Ohio State looks different on offense this year and the dominance of Jeremiah State…
CC: Any time you have a new coordinator there will be some subtleties, but they still run the ball well really. They throw the ball really well. They are very efficient, effective. They do a lot of the really nice stuff.
They move Jeremiah around quite a bit. He's taken it up a notch without question. I think he has nine touchdown catches in the last three, four games. You know, there is no one like him right now playing at this level.
We got two really good ones. He's a freak. We're going to have to do a great job on him.
On converting on third down against Nebraska and the approach to do so against Ohio State…
CC: And 1-1 on fourth down, so we were 2-10. Yeah, you're not going to win many games doing that. Although I will say this: One of the biggest wins I ever had in my career is when I was the head coach at Elon and we went to JMU and broke their, whatever 26- or 27-game winning streak at home.
I think we were 3-15 on third down. Bottom line is win, but if you're good on third down it sure helps.
On what he is seeing on tape of the Ohio State defense…
CC: You know, some subtle, more same than different, but some stuff. But doing a great job. I mean, they've got a lot of new faces and some of those guys we played against at Alabama. You know, they've really got them coached up, I mean, and playing really well. A lot of good players flying around; keep you off balance.
Guy (Matt Patricia) is a great football coach and the kids really play well.
On the missed tackles against Nebraska and how to fix that going forward…
CC: Yeah, we didn't play well really in any of the three phases in this first half. We had critical missed assignments on offense. We ran 16 plays. We had a hard time getting Nebraska off the field. They were executing really well; we weren't.
A lot of our issues were assignments, and they got the ball out there in space and we had a hard time getting off blocks. You know, but once we settled down we did a better job.
On potentially tying the longest winning streak in the CFP era this weekend and if he considers that…
CC: No. This is all about giving our team the best chance to be successful and doing a great job as coaches. You know, both teams are going in in my mind 0-0, and I'm sure that's how they're approaching it, too.
All that other stuff is just noise and clutter.
On how the home crowd can make a difference this weekend…
CC: Oh, I'm glad we're playing at home. We really need our crowd to be loud and very involved. We got to give them reasons to be.
So I can't -- it's just a football game, but I'm glad it's at home. Two really good teams. Great team we're playing. Not sure how good we are yet.
But our crowds have been awesome. They need to be loud, real loud.
On what a gritty, road win at a tough place to play does to help prepare for this weekend…
CC: No, I think it's important, just like the Northwestern win was important, to be in a tight game like that and win, especially on the road with all that adversity. We were down 11 points with 11 minutes to go and responded. It was extremely loud. I heard some comments from people it was the loudest it's ever been there.
So that was a good one to find a way to win a game like that. But, you know, it's behind us now and total focus on prep.
On tendencies that teams pick up in how they defend…
CC: Good teams have tendencies, but you to some changeup pitches, too. Run game has got to have at-bats. When you run 16 plays in the first half you're not getting many at-bats.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
#NeverDaunted
Players Mentioned
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