Oct. 30, 2021.
1,042 days ago marked the last time Western Illinois University football won a game.
To put it into perspective, Indiana football fell to Maryland on Oct. 30, 2021, with then-freshman Donaven McCulley starting under center. Graduate student Stephen Carr was the Hoosiers’ leading rusher that day while tight end Peyton Hendershot led in receiving.
It sure does feel like a while ago, doesn’t it?
Although Indiana enters its contest with Western Illinois on Friday night with a 1-0 record, head coach Curt Cignetti wasn’t satisfied with how the Hoosiers played during Week 1.
Just 16 minutes after the Hoosiers took down Florida International University 31-7, Cignetti walked into the Don Croftcheck Football Team Room in the northeast corner of Memorial Stadium displeased.
He felt that while his team had a “crisp” start to take a 21-0 lead, the Hoosiers’ execution was “sloppy” from midway through the second quarter until halftime. Cignetti said the offensive line struggled to protect sixth-year senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke. He felt there were too many wasted opportunities and noted that the Hoosiers need to learn to play with the lead.
With the Leathernecks entering the contest on a 25-game winless streak, the Hoosiers have an opportunity to correct their flaws from Week 1. The game also serves as a chance to prepare for their Week 3 matchup with UCLA on Sept. 14 in Pasadena, California.
Meet Western Illinois
Western Illinois head coach Joe Davis is in his first season at the helm, aiming to turn a perennial losing program around.
Davis’ squad fell in their season-opener 54-15 to Northern Illinois University. While the Leathernecks held a 6-0 advantage after the first quarter, the Huskies responded in the second quarter with 28 unanswered points en route to victory.
Senior quarterback Nathan Lamb went 17-of-29 for 204 yards and one touchdown against NIU. After playing in seven games last season and attempting just six passes, Lamb is now the starter and will look to do what Florida International struggled to do against Indiana –– drive down the field and score points.
Although Western Illinois has a 3.2% chance of defeating the Hoosiers according to ESPN Analytics, the contest is externally viewed as another tune-up, just like Indiana’s season-opener was.
What to watch from Indiana:
Penalties
Over the last three seasons, Indiana fans have grown accustomed to watching their team continuously hold themselves back. In Cignetti’s introductory press conference Dec. 1, 2023 — just a day after he was hired — he explained the new-look Hoosiers wouldn’t have self-imposed limitations.
Despite aiming to eliminate penalties over the offseason, Indiana committed nine penalties for 80 yards against FIU. Cignetti was naturally unhappy but also recognized that penalties plague many teams in their season openers and explained that they are teachable moments to learn from in the next game.
“Sometimes it takes a consequence to get the result,” Cignetti said. “We've got to get better with our hand placement, got to get our hands inside, they can't be outside.”
Donaven McCulley and Kaelon Black injury statuses
McCulley left the Hoosiers’ Week 1 contest after an awkward hit to his upper body. Cignetti explained postgame that McCulley wasn’t medically cleared to return to the game and later announced his status as “day-to-day" on Monday. He later explained he thinks the Hoosiers will have McCulley back “soon.”
Redshirt junior running back Kaelon Black suffered a tight hamstring Aug. 31.
“We held him (precautionarily) after he ran down on kickoff and I think had one carry,” Cignetti explained Monday.
Playing with the lead
With the Hoosiers expected to handily defeat the Leathernecks, Friday will likely serve as quality repetitions in learning to play with the lead.
To be fair, Indiana hasn’t led much over the last three dreadful seasons — it only won 25% of its games.
While it may be a foreign feeling for the Hoosiers, Rourke explained Cignetti is coaching them to play the same no matter who’s on the field and who they are going up against.
“Just being able to maintain that focus from the first quarter to the end of the game is going to help us put away opponents a lot quicker,” Rourke said.
The fan turnout
It’s no secret. Indiana’s students don’t stay at football games past halftime.
They haven’t had much to cheer for — Indiana leads the Football Bowl Subdivision with 713 losses.
But Cignetti and several players noticed Memorial Stadium emptied as the Hoosiers were leading FIU.
Seventh-year senior running back Ty Son Lawton thought the turnout was great until halftime.
Junior linebacker Aiden Fisher confidently explained the games won’t be lopsided in favor of the visitor anymore. Instead, the Hoosiers will be on top.
Cignetti attributed it to just another thing he’s trying to change, explaining that Indiana needs to create a Power Four environment in the stadium.
It’s simple though: the fans will stay if the Hoosiers show they’re a winning team.
Kickoff
The Hoosiers (1-0) and Leathernecks (0-1) are set to kick off at 7 p.m. Friday inside Memorial Stadium with the contest being televised on the Big Ten Network.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and columnist Jhett Garrett (@jhettgarrett) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
