COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Indiana football is a buzz saw.
The No. 2 Hoosiers are 9-0 on the season, 6-0 in Big Ten play, and possess the largest average margin of victory in the country. Indiana has won its past two games by a combined score of 111-16. The latest, a 55-10 win on the road in College Park on Saturday, spoiled Maryland’s homecoming.
Of the many coaching points that head coach Curt Cignetti emphasizes publicly, one has been made abundantly clear: never satisfied.
Seemingly every week, a shot of Cignetti airs on the broadcast with a scorebug beneath him that considers the game all but over. He looks to the field with a straight face, hands on his hips, no visible joy to be found.
The Hoosiers are the only 9-0 team in the FBS. They possess the highest margin of victory in the FBS at 35.6 points per game. Their mark of 46.4 points per game and 55 total touchdowns scored also lead the FBS. The 2024 Indiana team also led the country in margin of victory and total touchdowns and was second in points per game. There is no let up until the final whistle.
“The thing I'm most proud of is the way that they listen to the message about playing one play regardless of the circumstances,” Cignetti said of his team following the win over Maryland. “You saw that in the fourth quarter.”
This Saturday against Maryland, the Hoosiers outgained the Terrapins 588-293 in total yardage and 367-37 in rushing yards. They forced five turnovers, including three in the second half, and outgained Maryland 35-7 in the final 30 minutes.
With 12:54 left in the third quarter, Maryland scored a 55-yard touchdown to cut Indiana’s lead to 10 at 20-10. With 7:47 left in the third quarter, Indiana led 41-10. Twenty-one points in 5:07 of game time. Indiana would continue until the final whistle, scoring 14 more points. It was 35 unanswered with touchdowns on all five possessions.
”No matter if we're up 10 at the half or we're up 30 in the fourth quarter, we're going to keep on swinging and keep on giving our best shot because that's what the present moment deserves and that's what we deserve as a football team,” Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who was 14-for-21 for 201 yards, a passing touchdown, a rushing touchdown and an interception, said.
Through Cignetti’s first 22 games with Indiana, 20 of which are wins, opponents are getting 60 full minutes of Indiana football each week. The opponent does not matter. The score does not matter. The depth chart does not matter.
The Hoosiers know what kind of team they are internally, but want to make sure the outsiders are clear as well.
“We're still Indiana at the end of the day,” defensive end Mikail Kamara said. “Now, if we go and play Maryland and only win by a touchdown, they want to doubt us again. So every single week, we’ve got to make sure there is no doubt left at all and make sure that we continue to prove that we’re a real contender.”
Indiana will look to eliminate all doubt once again this coming Saturday with a trip to Beaver Stadium to face Penn State. Another full 60 minutes of Indiana football is on the horizon.
