Media Monday: Kennesaw State
9/1/2025 1:00:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– After the 27-14 win over Old Dominion in Week 1, Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti addressed the media inside the Don Croftcheck Football Team Room on Monday (September 1) ahead of the noon kickoff on Saturday (September 6) at 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: A little bit like Groundhog Day, to be honest. Like FIU, dominate the game, not reflective in the scoreboard. Not happy with the way the offense played in the second half of FIU in the red area in this game, and the fans left at halftime. But it all felt like Groundhog Day to me.
I'm never going to apologize for a win. They're too hard to get. Same team that should have beat South Carolina last year in the opener. Really dominated the game. Not reflected in the score. I mean, we probably left 35 points out there on offense with six possessions inside the 10, primarily the goal line offense and the 5 in -- dropped a touchdown pass, overthrew a touchdown pass, fumbled going in.
And had the game in total control. It's just a matter of what the score would be, and really expected a 45-, 52-7 type game at that point. And we didn't do it on offense.
I mean, we won the time of possession, 41.5 to 18.5. First downs, 30 to 10. Had 310 yards rush. Won the turnover battle 3-1. End of the half, beginning of the third, won 14-0. Good on third down, punt return for touchdown.
Two bad plays on defense. First play of the game was a 30 read for our linebacker. It was an outside zone read. We're not going to block the weak side defensive tackle. The guard blocked him, which meant it looked like outside zone and then came off late and quarterback. So, the linebacker went. Quarterback pulled the ball. There's nobody left.
But the last third down and 1, that's just an egregious missed assignment by the field end who has the quarterback and took the dive.
Gotta make the plays on offense. Gotta get better, period all the way around. Gotta get better. And we should get much better this week.
Now, the team we're going to play, Kennesaw State, lost by one point to a Power 4 opponent last week. Brand-new coach. High-tempo offense. They can go at warp speed, and they can slow it down.
Defense, guys run around good. Held Wake Forest to nine points. They missed an extra point and field goal and lost 10-9. So we've got to be ready to go. They beat Liberty last year when Liberty was undefeated. They were the first team to beat Liberty, old staff.
Looking for improvement.
On his approach to taking in a game like that and moving forward…
CC: I told the team in the locker room, the wins are hard; enjoy it, but not pleased with the way we played. With you guys, I put the game in perspective. With the team, the focus will be on what we put on tape and what we gotta do to improve.
So not pleased. I can't imagine anybody on the team is pleased, and we've got to get better.
On his biggest takeaways with the redzone struggles…
CC: First, when you get down there, you've got first and one at the 1. They jumped into a different front than they had shown the previous year, but still you've got to be able to gain a yard.
We had a running back take the wrong footwork and the wrong course one time. We had a missed assignment up front one time. And two poor blocks. And then on the fourth-down pass, didn't make the right read.
And then got down there again and had two more missed assignments in the run game. Had to settle for a field goal. And we scored two touchdowns.
Then we were really running the ball really well. We're up 27-7. And, look, they were running the clock in the second quarter. End of the second quarter they were milking the clock. They were tired gassed on defense. We threw a pass on second and six, in it was incomplete. Puts us in a third and 6. And didn't make a great call on third and 6.
And then the last series, I thought that was pass interference on Sarratt. They didn't call it. Sometimes the officials feel like the game's over; they just want to get home. You've still gotta call them.
So dropped a touchdown pass, overthrow a touchdown pass -- wide open -- and fumble going in. So really you could build a case that there's 55 points minimum.
I guess the difference between FIU and that game was we were much more consistent for 90 yards or 93 yards than we were last year.
Last year we led the country in red-area touchdown percentage. But we've got to get better. Doesn't matter what you did in the past, gotta get better now. So, that's that.
On what he liked most from Fernando Mendoza on Saturday and what needs work…
CC: Did some good things. Left some things out there. The emphasis with him has been on his processing and decision making. And you grade the quarterback based on his decision making and accuracy -- has he gone through the right reads, throwing the ball to the right guy and accurately. He's made progress since he's been here, but he's still got to get better.
On why the team didn't play to the standard…
CC: Missed assignments, missed assignments and guys not doing their job. And every once in a while they'd line up in a different defense than you thought they would. So gotta make the plays.
On Drew Evans' return to the field…
CC: Solid. He's going to give you a great effort. He's going to finish, give you everything he's got. He's a really smart player. And having him back is a real plus.
I thought our offensive line and tight ends did a nice job. Our running backs, our receivers, most of the day blocked well. It was a game where they were called on to block safeties.
And really overall I thought we did a great job penalty-wise. I think we had three. The one call on the interception was not a good call on number 12, (Devan) Boykin. And so we had a false start. Then we got a running into the punter, which Isaiah Jones says he got his hand on the ball.
So turnover ratio and penalties, two things you talk a lot about in an opener, we did a great job. And all of our special teams goals, we accomplished. I mean, this game really came down to what happened inside the 6-yard line and two plays on defense. I mean, other than two plays on defense, you hold them to 160 yards.
But look, it's a win. It's a two-score win. But we left a lot out there. And it's good that we've gotten to the point where people's expectations are such that they're not happy with just wins. But at the end of the day, they all count as one win.
On Quinn Warren stepping in on special teams and Brendan Franke's field goal kicking from distance…
CC: We feel like Quinn (Warren) is a really good prospect. And Quinn stepped in, the punter had a little issue and wasn't available at that time. And Franke is a long field goal guy. He hadn't missed one in practice. Now, he's only kicked about four or five because we'll practice a long field goal, 56, 58 yards. This one was 52, but into the wind, and he hit the crossbar. So that's where that's at.
On how the team wasn't played and the team's reaction after the postgame locker room talk…
CC: I think they understood. Look, we had them where we wanted them. We just had to put the fork in them, and we didn't. So I don't wait around for their reaction. I'm the critiquer.
On Amare Ferrell and his evolution as a player…
CC: Well, first of all, that's a guy that's not redshirted. So, he played as a freshman and started the whole season as a true sophomore. And we moved him back to strong safety because he's a really smart, instinctive player and there's a lot of communication involved there. And it gave us the ability to put our best five on the field.
So, he's a really good football player that I think the sky's the limit, and he'll get out what he puts in. He could be an outstanding football player. I've seen him really mature and grow up.
On the team's injury report…
CC: (Bryson) Bonds, unfortunately, has a knee injury and will miss the rest of the season. (Byron) Baldwin (Jr.) is more day to day.
On his reaction to the crowd and the reveal of Hoosier the Bison…
CC: I thought the students were awesome. They bought extra tickets. They were loud. The place was rocking. We didn't see the Bison come in. I heard it was spectacular, big time. The crowd was rocking. And we needed to give them more to cheer about.
On turning the page to Kennesaw State…
CC: Like I said at the beginning, the offense can go really, really fast at warp speed. They'll change the tempos, athletic quarterback that spent some time here, senior.
They've got a lot of older guys in general on their football team and starting roles. Receiver No. 1 is a really good player, running back is a really good player, too.
So, they're going to use the field, and the biggest adjustment will be when they do go warp speed, getting the calls in, getting lined up, that kind of thing, and keeping the quarterback contained.
And defensively I'm impressed. I mean, they're fundamental. They're well coached. They're in the right place. They run around good. They tackle. They're tough. So, guy's done a nice job there.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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: A little bit like Groundhog Day, to be honest. Like FIU, dominate the game, not reflective in the scoreboard. Not happy with the way the offense played in the second half of FIU in the red area in this game, and the fans left at halftime. But it all felt like Groundhog Day to me.
I'm never going to apologize for a win. They're too hard to get. Same team that should have beat South Carolina last year in the opener. Really dominated the game. Not reflected in the score. I mean, we probably left 35 points out there on offense with six possessions inside the 10, primarily the goal line offense and the 5 in -- dropped a touchdown pass, overthrew a touchdown pass, fumbled going in.
And had the game in total control. It's just a matter of what the score would be, and really expected a 45-, 52-7 type game at that point. And we didn't do it on offense.
I mean, we won the time of possession, 41.5 to 18.5. First downs, 30 to 10. Had 310 yards rush. Won the turnover battle 3-1. End of the half, beginning of the third, won 14-0. Good on third down, punt return for touchdown.
Two bad plays on defense. First play of the game was a 30 read for our linebacker. It was an outside zone read. We're not going to block the weak side defensive tackle. The guard blocked him, which meant it looked like outside zone and then came off late and quarterback. So, the linebacker went. Quarterback pulled the ball. There's nobody left.
But the last third down and 1, that's just an egregious missed assignment by the field end who has the quarterback and took the dive.
Gotta make the plays on offense. Gotta get better, period all the way around. Gotta get better. And we should get much better this week.
Now, the team we're going to play, Kennesaw State, lost by one point to a Power 4 opponent last week. Brand-new coach. High-tempo offense. They can go at warp speed, and they can slow it down.
Defense, guys run around good. Held Wake Forest to nine points. They missed an extra point and field goal and lost 10-9. So we've got to be ready to go. They beat Liberty last year when Liberty was undefeated. They were the first team to beat Liberty, old staff.
Looking for improvement.
On his approach to taking in a game like that and moving forward…
CC: I told the team in the locker room, the wins are hard; enjoy it, but not pleased with the way we played. With you guys, I put the game in perspective. With the team, the focus will be on what we put on tape and what we gotta do to improve.
So not pleased. I can't imagine anybody on the team is pleased, and we've got to get better.
On his biggest takeaways with the redzone struggles…
CC: First, when you get down there, you've got first and one at the 1. They jumped into a different front than they had shown the previous year, but still you've got to be able to gain a yard.
We had a running back take the wrong footwork and the wrong course one time. We had a missed assignment up front one time. And two poor blocks. And then on the fourth-down pass, didn't make the right read.
And then got down there again and had two more missed assignments in the run game. Had to settle for a field goal. And we scored two touchdowns.
Then we were really running the ball really well. We're up 27-7. And, look, they were running the clock in the second quarter. End of the second quarter they were milking the clock. They were tired gassed on defense. We threw a pass on second and six, in it was incomplete. Puts us in a third and 6. And didn't make a great call on third and 6.
And then the last series, I thought that was pass interference on Sarratt. They didn't call it. Sometimes the officials feel like the game's over; they just want to get home. You've still gotta call them.
So dropped a touchdown pass, overthrow a touchdown pass -- wide open -- and fumble going in. So really you could build a case that there's 55 points minimum.
I guess the difference between FIU and that game was we were much more consistent for 90 yards or 93 yards than we were last year.
Last year we led the country in red-area touchdown percentage. But we've got to get better. Doesn't matter what you did in the past, gotta get better now. So, that's that.
On what he liked most from Fernando Mendoza on Saturday and what needs work…
CC: Did some good things. Left some things out there. The emphasis with him has been on his processing and decision making. And you grade the quarterback based on his decision making and accuracy -- has he gone through the right reads, throwing the ball to the right guy and accurately. He's made progress since he's been here, but he's still got to get better.
On why the team didn't play to the standard…
CC: Missed assignments, missed assignments and guys not doing their job. And every once in a while they'd line up in a different defense than you thought they would. So gotta make the plays.
On Drew Evans' return to the field…
CC: Solid. He's going to give you a great effort. He's going to finish, give you everything he's got. He's a really smart player. And having him back is a real plus.
I thought our offensive line and tight ends did a nice job. Our running backs, our receivers, most of the day blocked well. It was a game where they were called on to block safeties.
And really overall I thought we did a great job penalty-wise. I think we had three. The one call on the interception was not a good call on number 12, (Devan) Boykin. And so we had a false start. Then we got a running into the punter, which Isaiah Jones says he got his hand on the ball.
So turnover ratio and penalties, two things you talk a lot about in an opener, we did a great job. And all of our special teams goals, we accomplished. I mean, this game really came down to what happened inside the 6-yard line and two plays on defense. I mean, other than two plays on defense, you hold them to 160 yards.
But look, it's a win. It's a two-score win. But we left a lot out there. And it's good that we've gotten to the point where people's expectations are such that they're not happy with just wins. But at the end of the day, they all count as one win.
On Quinn Warren stepping in on special teams and Brendan Franke's field goal kicking from distance…
CC: We feel like Quinn (Warren) is a really good prospect. And Quinn stepped in, the punter had a little issue and wasn't available at that time. And Franke is a long field goal guy. He hadn't missed one in practice. Now, he's only kicked about four or five because we'll practice a long field goal, 56, 58 yards. This one was 52, but into the wind, and he hit the crossbar. So that's where that's at.
On how the team wasn't played and the team's reaction after the postgame locker room talk…
CC: I think they understood. Look, we had them where we wanted them. We just had to put the fork in them, and we didn't. So I don't wait around for their reaction. I'm the critiquer.
On Amare Ferrell and his evolution as a player…
CC: Well, first of all, that's a guy that's not redshirted. So, he played as a freshman and started the whole season as a true sophomore. And we moved him back to strong safety because he's a really smart, instinctive player and there's a lot of communication involved there. And it gave us the ability to put our best five on the field.
So, he's a really good football player that I think the sky's the limit, and he'll get out what he puts in. He could be an outstanding football player. I've seen him really mature and grow up.
On the team's injury report…
CC: (Bryson) Bonds, unfortunately, has a knee injury and will miss the rest of the season. (Byron) Baldwin (Jr.) is more day to day.
On his reaction to the crowd and the reveal of Hoosier the Bison…
CC: I thought the students were awesome. They bought extra tickets. They were loud. The place was rocking. We didn't see the Bison come in. I heard it was spectacular, big time. The crowd was rocking. And we needed to give them more to cheer about.
On turning the page to Kennesaw State…
CC: Like I said at the beginning, the offense can go really, really fast at warp speed. They'll change the tempos, athletic quarterback that spent some time here, senior.
They've got a lot of older guys in general on their football team and starting roles. Receiver No. 1 is a really good player, running back is a really good player, too.
So, they're going to use the field, and the biggest adjustment will be when they do go warp speed, getting the calls in, getting lined up, that kind of thing, and keeping the quarterback contained.
And defensively I'm impressed. I mean, they're fundamental. They're well coached. They're in the right place. They run around good. They tackle. They're tough. So, guy's done a nice job there.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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FB: Kellan Wyatt - KSU Postgame Press Conference (09/06/25)
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FB: Week 2 (Kennesaw State) - Curt Cignetti Postgame Press Conference
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