Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1537537
9 6 A U G U S T 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Thanks to Curt Cignetti, we are now living in a world in which Indiana has ap- peared in more College Football Playoff games than USC, Miami, Texas A&M, Florida, Auburn, Nebraska and Ole Miss put together. Granted, Indiana has played in one CFP game to date. That's still one more than anyone expected when Cignetti arrived in Bloomington follow- ing the Hoosiers' 3-9 finish in 2023, their 26th losing season in 29 years. The big question facing Indiana's brash new coach at this time last year was whether he could succeed where so many others had struggled. The question this year is entirely different: Can the Hoosiers keep a good thing going? There's reason to think they can. While quarterback Kurtis Rourke is gone, he's been replaced by one of the Big Ten's top transfers, junior Fernando Mendoza, formerly of Cal. Ranked by On3 as the No. 4 quarterback in the portal, Men- doza completed 68.7 percent of his at- tempts last year for 3,004 yards, tossing 16 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions. With three starting linemen returning, he should get better protection than he did a year ago when the Bears gave up 35 sacks. And he'll have an inviting target in wideout Elijah Sarratt, who totaled 957 yards on 53 catches, averaging 18.1 yards per reception. The Hoosiers also brought in a pair of transfer running backs in Roman Hemby and Lee Beebe Jr. Last year, Hemby rushed for 607 yards and 6 touchdowns at Mary- land, while Beebe had 884 yards and 7 scores at Alabama Birmingham. On defense, the big story is the return- ees. Edge rusher Mikail Kamara figures to vie for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors after totaling 15 tackles for loss and 10 sacks as a junior. At linebacker, Aiden Fisher was third in the Big Ten with 118 tackles. And in the secondary, corner- back D'Angelo Ponds had 3 interceptions and 9 pass breakups. All three defensive stars received some form of All-America recognition last year. Leading the special teams is kicker Nicholas Radicic, who hit 10 of 11 field goal tries and a program-record 69 extra points as a freshman. While plenty of talent returns, there's also reason to believe the Hoosiers won't fare as well as they did last year, when they ranked second in the FBS in scoring offense (41.3 points per game) and sixth in scoring defense (15.6 ppg). Skeptics will point to a schedule doesn't look quite so hospitable this fall. Last year's slate was remarkable in that Indiana faced only two of the Big Ten's top 10 finishers while playing seven of the bottom eight. Only three of its 12 regular- season opponents — Ohio State, Michigan and Nebraska — had winning records. This year, Indiana will probably chew up its nonconference opponents like a runaway chainsaw, but after that come games against Illinois, Iowa and Oregon to start the Big Ten season, with the latter two taking place on the road. Then in No- vember, a trip to Penn State looms. Cignetti has been widely praised for what he accomplished last year, and jus- tifiably so. While he may have been dealt a strong hand by the schedule-makers, you still have to admire how masterfully he played his cards. It looks like he has a tougher draw this year. And yet, for the first time in forever, the Hoosiers are going into a season with the rest of the nation wondering what they've got up their sleeve. — Matt Herb N O V . 8 | T I M E T B A | T V T B A | B E A V E R S T A D I U M | S T A T E C O L L E G E Curt Cignetti guided the Hoosiers to their first winning record since 2020 during his debut season with the program. PHOTO COURTESY INDIANA ATHLETICS GAME 9 INDIANA 2025 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2024 Result Aug. 30 Old Dominion — Sept. 6 Kennesaw State — Sept. 12 Indiana State — Sept. 20 Illinois — Sept. 27 at Iowa — Oct. 11 at Oregon — Oct. 18 Michigan State W, 47-10 Oct. 25 UCLA W, 42-13 Nov. 1 at Maryland W, 42-28 Nov. 8 at Penn State — Nov. 15 Wisconsin — Nov. 28 at Purdue W, 66-0 BEST-CASE SCENARIO It's practically a given that the Hoo- siers will put together their first back- to-back winning seasons since 1990- 91. If QB Fernando Mendoza makes a smooth transition, a return trip to the CFP appears entirely within reach. WORST-CASE SCENARIO Indiana could be just as good as last year, but a tougher schedule with road trips to Iowa, Oregon and Penn State could leave the Hoosiers with a worse record. QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Penn State leads, 25-2 Last Meeting: Drew Allar hit KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a 57-yard touchdown pass with 1:46 to play, and Penn State edged the visiting Hoosiers, 33-24, on Oct. 28, 2023 Head Coach: Curt Cignetti (11-2 in one season at Indiana; career coaching re- cord: 130-37) 2024 Record: 11-2, 8-1 Big Ten Returning Starters: 9 (4 offense, 4 de- fense, 1 specialist) RETURNING LEADERS Rushing: RB Kaelon Black (251 yards, 2 TD) Passing: None Receiving: WR Elijah Sarratt (957 yards, 8 TD) Tackles: LB Aiden Fisher (118) Sacks: DE Mikail Kamara (10) Interceptions: S Amare Ferrell (4)